Departmental Temporary Employment

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland which companies were used by his Department for providing temporary staff in each of the last five years; and what the value of contracts with each such company was in each of those years.

Paul Goggins: The Northern Ireland Office (NIO), excluding its Agencies, Executive NDPBs and Public Inquiries, have made the following payments to recruitment agencies in the last five financial years:
	
		
			  £ 
			  Recruitment Agency  2003-04  2004-05  2005-06  2006-07  2007-08 
			 Brook Street (UK) Ltd. 0.00 0.00 2,403.75 913.42 35,712.89 
			 Diamond Recruitment 9,699.84 14,811.99 10,555.42 10,332.81 16,092.65 
			 Excel Recruitment Ltd. 24,915.03 14,473.16 0.00 0.00 0.00 
			 Grafton Recruitment 32,431.98 31,739.91 76,451.18 112,394.12 100,458.31 
			 Hays Accounting Personnel 31,518.36 29,992.96 31,992.13 43,846.28 27,262.03 
			 Select Recruitment 1,318.15 23,782.99 9,388.80 0.00 0.00 
			 Tim Lewis Recruitment Ltd. 0.00 6,553.00 5,512.30 1,522.13 0.00 
			 Total 99,883.36 121,354.01 136,303.58 169,008.76 179,525.88 
		
	
	The figures in this table include both the costs for appointing staff to the Department and the salaries paid to temporary staff members.

Young Offenders

Mark Durkan: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what proportion of  (a) people in young offender centres in and  (b) the population of Northern Ireland are (i) male, (ii) female, (iii) of each religion, (iv) from an ethnic minority, (v) from each socio-economic group and (vi) resident of each district council area; and if he will make a statement.

Paul Goggins: At 21 October, there were 53 female prisoners and 207 male young offenders and juveniles held at Hydebank Wood young offenders centre and prison. The other information relating to young offenders/prisoners is detailed in the following tables. As Prison Service records do not identify residency by district council area, the information has been provided on a county basis.
	The Northern Ireland Prison Service has an obligation to ensure that all of its policies and procedures are fair to all who come into contact with it and is fully committed to its statutory obligations under section 75 of the Northern Ireland Act 1998, and all other relevant equality and anti-discrimination legislation and duties.
	Responsibility for the provision of figures for the general population of Northern Ireland is a matter for the devolved administration.
	
		
			  Religion 
			   Male  Female 
			   Number  Percentage  Number  Percentage 
			 Atheist 2 0.97 — — 
			 Christian 2 0.97 6 11.32 
			 Church of Ireland 16 7.73 10 18.87 
			 Evangelical 2 0.97 — — 
			 Free Presbyterian 9 4.35 — — 
			 Methodist 6 2.90 2 3.77 
			 Muslim 2 0.97 1 1.89 
			 Presbyterian 45 21.73 5 9.43 
			 Roman Catholic 107 51.68 16 30.19 
			 Baptist 1 0.48 — — 
			 None 12 5.80 7 13.21 
			 Other 3 1.45 6 11.32 
		
	
	
		
			  Ethnicity 
			   Male  Female 
			   Number  Percentage  Number  Percentage 
			 Black African 2 0.97 2 3.77 
			 Chinese/Oriental 2 0.97 12 22.65 
			 Irish Traveller 4 1.93 — — 
			 White 198 95.65 36 67.92 
			 Afro Caribbean — — 3 5.66 
			 Arab 1 0.48 — — 
		
	
	
		
			  Socio-Economic group 
			   Male  Female 
			   Number  Percentage  Number  Percentage 
			 Unemployed 166 80.19 41 77.36 
			 Routine occupations 41 19.81 12 22.64 
		
	
	
		
			  Residency 
			   Male  Female 
			   Number  Percentage  Number  Percentage 
			 County Antrim 106 51.21 16 30.20 
			 County Armagh 11 5.31 2 3.77 
			 County Down 35 16.91 8 15.10 
			 County Fermanagh 9 4.35 2 3.77 
			 County Londonderry 20 9.66 2 3.77 
			 County Tyrone 10 4.83 5 9.43 
			 Outside Northern Ireland 3 1.45 8 15.09 
			 No fixed abode 13 6.28 10 18.87

Israel: Terrorism

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reports he received of terrorist attacks in the State of Israel since July 2008; what discussions he has had with the government of the State of Israel on terrorism in Israel since July 2008; and if he will make a statement.

Bill Rammell: We welcome the Gaza ceasefire which has reduced the number of attacks and brought calm to the lives of civilians in both southern Israel and in Gaza. However, the UK remains concerned by any attack against Israel.
	There have been five attacks during the period in question in Jerusalem and the State of Israel. These were:
	On 2 July, three Israelis were killed and 66 injured (including two infants) by a Palestinian using a bulldozer to attack cars, pedestrians, and two buses in West Jerusalem.
	On 11 July, a border patrolman was shot by a Palestinian terrorist in West Jerusalem. The policeman died on 23 July from his injuries.
	On 23 July, 16 Israelis were injured in an attack using a bulldozer in West Jerusalem against a bus and four other vehicles; the driver was killed by police.
	On 22 September, 17 soldiers were injured in an attack by a Palestinian driving a car into a group of Israelis at an intersection in West Jerusalem; the driver was shot and killed.
	On 23 September, a pipe bomb exploded outside the house of Professor Zeev Sternhell in West Jerusalem. A Jewish right wing terrorist was suspected of carrying out the attack.
	There have also been a number of rocket attacks from Gaza into the State of Israel, but there has been no confirmation of any injuries or damage as a result of these attacks.
	We discuss various issues, including security, with Israeli officials on a regular basis and will continue to devote our efforts to the Annapolis process with the vision of two states, living side by side in peace and security.

Middle East: Armed Conflict

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions  (a) he,  (b) Ministers in his Department,  (c) officials in his Department,  (d) the British Ambassador to Egypt and  (e) officials in the British Embassy in Egypt have had since August 2008 with the government of Egypt on the trafficking of (i) weapons and (ii) people into Gaza from Egypt via under-border tunnels; what response was received in each case; what reports he has received on the number of tunnels between Gaza and Egypt that have been (A) discovered and (B) closed; and if he will make a statement.

Bill Rammell: The UK welcomes any appropriate action taken to reduce trafficking of weapons and people into Gaza. Earlier in the year, we pressed Egypt to act on smuggling. But this issue has not been explicitly raised with the Egyptian authorities since August 2008.
	Egypt is actively addressing the issue. With the number of tunnels being discovered and closed constantly changing, we are unable to provide a definitive figure, but we continue to monitor the situation.

Sri Lanka: Politics and Government

Andrew Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made to the Sri Lankan government over its responsibility to  (a) ensure that security forces operate under the rule of domestic and international law and  (b) bring to justice those of the security forces who commit crimes, including war crimes and abuses of human rights; and if he will make a statement.

Bill Rammell: We remain deeply concerned about the humanitarian rights situation in Sri Lanka and urge all parties to the conflict to respect the rights of civilians. We continue to press for full investigation of alleged breaches of international law and action to bring perpetrators to justice. In July, my noble Friend, the Minister for Africa, Asia and the UN, Lord Malloch-Brown, raised the UK's concerns over human rights in Sri Lanka with the Sri Lankan government, including with President Rajapakse, and the Defence Secretary, Gotabhaya Rajapakse.

Sri Lanka: Politics and Government

Andrew Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the recent statement by the International Committee of the Red Cross on the misrepresentation of its findings by the Sri Lankan government.

Bill Rammell: We share the International Committee of the Red Cross's concerns over the human rights situation in Sri Lanka. My noble Friend, the Minister for Africa, Asia and the UN, Lord Malloch-Brown, expressed similar concerns to President Rajapakse, his Ministers and senior officials during his visit to Sri Lanka this summer.

Domestic Violence: Sentencing

Roger Williams: To ask the Minister for Women and Equality how many successful prosecutions for domestic violence against women have resulted in a prison sentence for the perpetrator in the last five years.

Maria Eagle: It is not possible to identify separately domestic violence offences on the Court Proceedings Database as the circumstances of offences are not collected centrally.

National Equalities Panel

Mark Hoban: To ask the Minister for Women and Equality what estimate she has made of the cost of  (a) establishing the National Equalities Panel,  (b) running the panel in its first year and  (c) the salary which will be paid to panel members.

Maria Eagle: The total cost of the Panel is likely to be £400,000 over two financial years. It will be met by a Government research grant to the London School of Economics. Payment of the grant will be dependent on completion of agreed stages in the project. The Chair and Panel members, who are leading experts in their fields will be paid £1,000 per day, for a maximum of 80 days for the Chair and eight days for each member.

Armed Forces: Intimidation

Joan Humble: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many calls have been logged on the armed forces anti-bullying confidential support line in the last 12 months; what procedures are in place to ensure that steps are taken to address  (a) allegations of bullying and  (b) identify patterns of abuse and bullying blackspots; and by what means the Service Complaints Commissioner is kept informed.

Bob Ainsworth: The Armed Forces do not run an 'armed forces anti-bullying confidential support line'. However, the Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Families Association runs a 'confidential support line' for a range of issues such as welfare, health and terms of service including concerns about bullying and harassment. The support line is available to serving personnel (of all Services) together with their families and former members of the Armed Forces.
	Calls to the support line are logged under a series of generic headings including 'equality and diversity' which includes those concerning bullying, harassment and discrimination. During the period January to December 2007, the most recent period for which figures are available, 170 calls from serving Service Personnel relating to equality and diversity issues were logged, together with a further 19 from family members and veterans.
	The Department's unified diversity strategy makes clear that bullying and harassment are not tolerated under any circumstances and that the penalties for offenders are potentially severe.
	Joint Service Publication 763 'The MOD Harassment Complaints Procedure' sets out the procedures for all MOD Service and civilian personnel making, responding to, advising on, investigating, and deciding on, complaints of harassment.
	All units are required to have at least one qualified Equality and Diversity Advisor (EDA); larger units will have several. In addition to providing help and advice to individuals, EDAs are required to keep unit equality and diversity logs. The logs are regularly reviewed by unit commanders and statistical information is drawn upon by a tri-Service Evaluation Group (at commodore, colonel and group captain level) chaired by the Director Service Personnel Service Conditions along with other reports and statistics to identify trends and areas of concern.
	While conducting unit visits, the independent Service Complaints Commissioner is given access to unit logs and it has recently been agreed that she will also be provided with statistics from these logs bi-annually.

Armed Forces: Termination of Employment

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many service personnel leaving the armed forces in each year since 2001 had completed  (a) under five years service,  (b) between five and 22 years service and  (c) over 22 years service.

Bob Ainsworth: The number of service personnel leaving the trained UK Regular Forces(1) in each financial year since 2001-02 is provided in the table:
	(1) Outflow from the UK Regular Forces includes recalled reservists on release and outflow to the Home Service Battalions of the Royal Irish Regiment. The Royal Irish Regiment disbanded on 31 March 2008.
	
		
			  Trained outflow by length of service 
			   All services  Fewer than five years  Five to 22 years  Over 22 years 
			 2001-02 17,930 5,470 7,690 4,770 
			 2002-03 16,850 5,380 6,560 4,920 
			 2003-04 16,460 5,540 6,510 4,420 
			 2004-05 17,600 5,970 7,060 4,580 
			 2005-06 18,140 5,440 7,310 5,400 
			 2006-07(1) (2)18,870 (2)5,450 (2)7,900 (2)5,230 
			 2007-08 (2)18,010 (2)4,660 (2)9,250 (2)4,100 
			 (1) Army outflow data split by length of service is unavailable for 1 March 2007 to 31 March 2007. Therefore, Army outflow figures broken down by length of service for FY 2006-07 comprises data from 1 March 2006 to 28 February 2007. The total trained outflow for UK Regular Forces for financial year 2006-07 was 18,870. The sum of the fewer than five years length of service, five to 22 years length of service and over 22 years service quoted in this table is 18,580. (2) Denotes provisional. Due to ongoing validation of data from the Joint Personnel Administration System, all service flow statistics for financial year 2006-07 and 2007-08 are provisional and subject to review.  Source: DASA Quad Service

Armed Forces: Training

Joan Humble: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many instructors have enrolled in and completed training at the Staff Leadership School at Pirbright; how many and what proportion of instructors have completed the Train the Trainer courses; and what target date he has set for the completion of mandatory training for all instructors on the training estate.

Bob Ainsworth: A total of 2,244 instructors have enrolled and completed courses at the Army Staff Leadership School (ASLS) at Pirbright since its opening in April 2007. Of those, 1,791 completed the full and accredited Defence Train the Trainer (DTTT) course and the remainder completed an appropriately tailored version for personnel working in proximity of, but not directly instructing, trainees. At 30 September 2008 the proportion of instructors trained by ASLS was 81 per cent. across the training establishments commanded by DG Army Recruiting and Training.
	The revised policy for staff delivering formal training, issued on 1 August 2008, requires all instructors to gain this qualification. This should, ideally, be achieved prior to taking up their instructional post or, where this is not possible, within three months of taking up instructional duties during which time they are to be very closely supervised. Work is in hand to ensure that all instructors in initial formal training have received the DTTT course, the current target being to ensure that, by December 2008, 95 per cent. of instructors have been trained.

Armed Forces: Training

Joan Humble: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what steps have been taken by the army to establish and maintain central records of written policy changes within the training estate.

Bob Ainsworth: The Army's policy for recruit training is maintained by Headquarters (HQ) Army Recruiting and Training Division (ARTD) and is derived from Defence and other Army policies. It is promulgated via the ARTD handbook, a web based document which is available to all Army training units via the Army Intranet. Each element of policy is owned by an officer within the HQ who is responsible for ensuring the published policy is kept up to date.

Armed Forces: Training

Joan Humble: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many recruits enrolled in the Army Junior Entry Phase 1 training at  (a) Army Foundation College Harrogate,  (b) Army Training Regiment Winchester and  (c) other establishments in 2007; and what progress has been made extending the duration of Phase 1 training at Army Training Regiment, Bassingbourn.

Bob Ainsworth: In financial year 2007-08, 1,309 Junior Entry recruits commenced training at the Army Foundation College Harrogate and 863 at Army Training Regiment Bassingbourn.
	Junior Entry training switched from Bassingbourn to Army Training Regiment Winchester in August/September 2008. This is in line with the recommendation in Sir Nicholas Blake QC's "Deepcut Review" that those under 17 should be trained in establishments catering exclusively for this age group. Prior to this, no junior entry training was conducted at Winchester.
	There are currently no plans to extend the Junior Entry Phase 1 course at Winchester beyond its present 23 weeks, which consists of 20 weeks tuition and three weeks leave.

Armed Forces: Young People

Joan Humble: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many  (a) 16-year-olds and  (b) 17-year-olds were recruited into each of the armed services in (i) 2002 and (ii) 2007; and how many recruits aged under 18 years of age were allocated to units for military duties.

Bob Ainsworth: The following table shows the number of 16 and 17-year-olds that were recruited into each service of the UK Regular Armed Forces(1) in the financial years 2002-03 and 2007-08.
	
		
			   All services  Naval service  Army  RAF 
			   16  17  16  17  16  17  16  17 
			 2002-03 4,430 5,035 585 970 3,600 3,330 245 735 
			 2007-08 (1)2,575 (1)3,405 (1)280 (1)550 (1)2,200 (1)2,550 (1)95 (1)305 
			 (1) Provisional.  Source: DASA Quad-Service. 
		
	
	Armed forces personnel are not allocated to units for military duties until they have completed training. The number of trained UK Regular Armed Forces(1) personnel under the age of 18 as at 1 April 2002, 2003, 2007 and 2008 is shown in the following table.
	(1) UK Regular Forces includes all trained and untrained personnel. Gurkhas, Full Time Reserve personnel, and mobilised reservists are excluded.
	
		
			  As at  1 April:  All services  Naval service  Army  RAF 
			 2002 1,060 205 755 100 
			 2003 1,190 255 830 100 
			 2007 (1)770 85 (1)675 10 
			 2008 (1)640 (1)110 (1)515 (1)10 
			 (1) Provisional.  Note: Due to ongoing validation of data from the joint personnel administration system, all Naval service flow statistics for 12-month periods ending 31 October 2006 onwards, and Naval service strength statistics from 1 May 2007 are provisional and subject to review. All Army flow statistics for 12-month periods ending 31 March 2007 onwards and strength statistics from 1 April 2007 are provisional and subject to review. All RAF flow statistics for 12-month periods ending 30 April 2007 onwards and strength statistics from 1 May 2007 are provisional and subject to review.  Source: DASA Quad-Service. 
		
	
	The Government have made a clear commitment to take all feasible measures to ensure that those who had not yet reached the age of 18 years old did not take a direct part in hostilities.

Antisocial Behaviour: Liverpool

Robert Wareing: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if she will visit the Croxteth and Norris Green districts of Liverpool in the near future to discuss anti-social behaviour with the police and representatives of the local communities.

Alan Campbell: My right hon. Friend has no plans to visit the Croxteth and Norris Green districts of Liverpool in the near future. However, we have provided practitioners including the police with a wide range of tools and powers to tackle antisocial behaviour, issue guidance on their use, provide information through a practitioner website and set up a free telephone advice line to provide specific support on individual problems. We also deliver regional workshops to help local practitioners make the best use of the available tools and powers.

Border and Immigration Agency: Correspondence

John Barrett: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when the Parliamentary Business Unit of the Immigration and Nationality Department plans to respond to the letter from the hon. Member for Edinburgh West's letter of 17 July 2008 on his constituent Rangarirai Mukora.

Phil Woolas: The letter of 17 July was not received in my office however a letter from the hon. Member for Edinburgh West dated 3 October 2008 addressed to the Regional Director in Glasgow regarding the same matter was replied to on 6 October 2008.

British Nationality: Gurkhas

Ashok Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the Government's policy is on the grant of UK citizenship to Gurkhas who have served in the armed forces.

Phil Woolas: The requirements for naturalisation as a British citizen are as set out in section 6 of and Schedule 1 of the British Nationality Act 1981. A person applying for naturalisation must have been lawfully present in the United Kingdom for a period of five years ending on the date of the application. Within that period he or she should not have been outside the United Kingdom for more than 450 days. For a person married to or the civil partner of a British citizen, the residential qualifying period is reduced to three years.
	There is discretion to overlook periods of absence from the UK during the five or three year qualifying period. The current policy is to overlook any such absence if it was due to the applicant's (or his or her spouse's or civil partner's) service in the United Kingdom forces. However this discretion is not exercised if, at the time of consideration, the applicant is still serving as a member of the Brigade of Gurkhas.
	The difference in treatment between Gurkhas and non-Gurkhas is due to the understanding between the Nepalese and United Kingdom Governments that those serving in the Brigade of Gurkhas should remain Nepalese citizens during their periods of service. Nepalese nationality law provides that any citizen of Nepal who acquires another nationality will automatically lose Nepalese citizenship. It would therefore not be right to bestow British citizenship on Gurkha soldiers since they would, as a result, automatically lose their existing Nepalese citizenship. For this reason, and in order to avoid jeopardising the special relationship that currently exists between the United Kingdom and Nepal, there are no plans to grant British citizenship automatically to serving Gurkha soldiers.
	If, however, Gurkhas transfer into other units of the British army on completion of five years service in the Brigade or they become settled in the UK after discharge from service they would then be able to apply for naturalisation as British citizens under section 6 of the British Nationality Act 1981 on the same terms as other non-British service personnel.

Entry Clearances: Middle East

Phyllis Starkey: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many  (a) Palestinians and  (b) Israelis have been refused entry into the UK because of their links to violence, terrorism or other armed criminal acts in the last 12 months.

Phil Woolas: During the 12-month period 1 October 2007 to 30 September 2008, UKBA records show that 10 Israelis were refused entry to the UK at ports, on the grounds that their exclusion was conducive to the public good. This category covers, but is not limited to, the offences listed in the present question. UKBA records show that no Palestinians were refused entry for this reason, during the same period.

Immigration

Phyllis Starkey: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what procedures are in place to deal with people who make false declarations of their country of residence on immigration cards at the UK border.

Phil Woolas: United Kingdom Border Agency Landing Cards collect data by nationality, but do not record the country of residence of arriving passengers.

Plain English

David Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many documents produced by her Department were submitted to the Plain English Campaign for approval for Crystal Mark status in each year since 2005; and how many documents achieved such status in each year.

Phil Woolas: Although the Home Office is a corporate member of the Plain English Campaign no central records are maintained of the take up of their services by individual parts of the organisation. The information requested cannot be obtained at disproportionate cost.

Plain English

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many documents produced by her Department were submitted to the Plain English Campaign for approval for Crystal Mark status in each year since 2005; and how many documents achieved such status in each year.

Phil Woolas: Although the Home Office is a corporate member of the Plain English Campaign no central records are maintained of the take up of their services by individual parts of the organisation. The information requested cannot therefore be obtained at disproportionate cost.

Police: Pensions

Paul Rowen: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimate she has made of the annual change in the cost to the public purse of the 2006 changes to the National Police Pension Scheme; and if she will make a statement.

Vernon Coaker: The New Police Pension scheme, under which police officers can build up maximum benefits over 35 years instead of 30 years, was introduced in April 2006 and applies to all new entrants since that point. The savings for 2008-09 as a result of that change are estimated to be 0.8 per cent. of pensionable pay, and 6.9 per cent. in the long term. Based on the current pensionable pay bill these savings equate to around £45 million and £390 million a year respectively.

UK Border Agency: Marketing

Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much her Department spent on commissioning a new  (a) logo and  (b) brand for the UK Border Agency.

Phil Woolas: The development of the new UK border Agency logo incurred a cost of £12,000 in design fees. A further £17,000 was spent on producing a set of templates and guidelines to cover all applications of the logo. A further £1,200 was spent on printing a summary guidelines booklet to distribute to senior managers within the UK Border Agency.

Bridges: Repairs and Maintenance

Theresa Villiers: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport 
	(1)  how much his Department and its agencies have spent on bridge maintenance since 2000;
	(2)  how much his Department and its agencies have spent on local road maintenance since 2000.

Paul Clark: The Highways Agency are responsible for the management of the strategic road network, including bridge maintenance. They have spent the following amounts on bridge renewals:
	
		
			  £ million 
			 2004-05 157 
			 2005-06 152 
			 2006-07 149 
			 2007-08 170 
		
	
	This relates to renewals of bridges, tunnels, underpasses and other structures. It does not include costs associated with their Private Finance Initiative contracts or routine maintenance of structures.
	The amounts shown are for the financial years from 2004-05, prior to this the information is not readily available to this level of detail.
	The management of the local road network, including bridge maintenance, in England, is the responsibility of local highway authorities.
	Maintenance of bridges owned by other bodies, such as Network Rail, is a matter for the respective bridge owner.

Departmental ICT

Michael Ancram: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much his Department spent on upgrading its IT in each of the last three financial years.

Geoff Hoon: The total spend for the Department for Transport and its agencies on upgrading its IT in each of the last three years is as follows:
	
		
			   £000 
			 2005-06 28,351 
			 2006-07 29,718 
			 2007-08 43,861 
		
	
	VOSA is unable to identify separately the IT upgrade costs from the monthly charge that they make to Atos Origin, which manages its IT service.
	Due to limitations in GCDA's accountancy system, it cannot provide the complete breakdown within their costs. The costs do however include hardware and software upgrading costs.
	DSA changed its accounting system in April 2007 and this has resulted in changes to the coding system. This may lead to inconsistencies between the information reported for 2007-08 compared to previous years, however the costs of confirming this is disproportionate.

Fuels: Rural Areas

Roger Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will discuss with Ministerial colleagues at HM Treasury a fuel tax derogation for rural areas.

Paul Clark: Decisions on fuel duty, as with all decisions on taxation, are matters for HM Treasury. Treasury Ministers routinely consult with ministerial colleagues on all relevant matters as part of the pre-Budget report and Budget processes.

Roads: Southend

James Duddridge: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport 
	(1)  what discussions he has had with Southend Borough Council on the proposed highway improvement at Priory Crescent and the A127 junction;
	(2)  what plans he has to meet  (a) hon. and right hon. Members,  (b) Southend Borough Council members and  (c) Southend Borough Council officers in relation to the proposed highway improvement at Priory Crescent and the A127 junction.

Paul Clark: At present the Department for Transport's regional and local major schemes team are working closely with officers of Southend-on-Sea borough council, the scheme promoters, to prepare a revised major scheme business case which is due to be submitted shortly in order to reduce overspend on the original scheme. Following submission of this case meetings with appropriate hon. and right hon. Members, Southend borough council members and officers will be convened.

Biofuels

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much the Government have spent on research on the potential for biofuel use overseas in the last 12 months.

Joan Ruddock: I have been asked to reply.
	UK Government polity on biofuels has always been based on making their production and use sustainable. A number of studies on biofuel sustainability have considered the supply and demand of biofuels anticipated globally. These include the Gallagher Review commissioned by the Renewable Fuels Agency—the Gallagher Review and the studies underpinning it are available via the Renewable Fuels Agency's website
	http://www.dft.gov.uk/rfa/
	and a study on the environmental sustainability of international biofuels production commissioned by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA), available on DEFRA's website at www.defra.gov.uk. These studies cost approximately £300,000.
	Research has also been commissioned to consider key social, economic and ecological consequences of the development of bioenergy and its impacts on the rural poor in developing countries. These include a study commissioned by the Department for International Development on the impact of biofuels on agriculture and poverty reduction in developing countries, costing approximately £8000, and available on the Overseas Development Institute website; and, under the auspices of the Brazil: UK: Southern Africa Taskforce on Biofuels, the Brazil:UK:Africa Partnership on Bioethanol Scoping study, which was commissioned by the Office for Science and Innovation (part of the former Department of Trade and Industry). The study looked into the technical potential for sugar cane for bioethanol in Africa, cost approximately £116,000 and is available on the Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform website.
	The Government have recently committed a further £170,000 to a five year transnational consortia research programme, "Bioenergy - an opportunity or threat to the rural poor" as part of the ERA-ARD (European Research Area for Agricultural Research and Development net).

Inland Waterways: Property

John Howell: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when the further review of the Environment Agency's plans for lock-keepers' cottages along the Thames will be published; whether the review has included a re-examination of the business case for disposal of the cottages; and if he will make a statement.

Huw Irranca-Davies: holding answer 23 October 2008
	The Environment Agency intend to announce proposals for lock houses on the River Thames in the new year, after further negotiations have been held with the unions about all the terms and conditions for lock staff. The review will include a re-examination of the business case and will consider the issues raised by MPs, members of the public and staff.

River Lymington: Ferries

Desmond Swayne: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to the answer of 13 October 2008,  Official Report, column 938W, on River Lymington: ferries, what the role of the Government Office for the South East will be in resolving the situation regarding Wightlink's application for shore works in the Lymington River.

Huw Irranca-Davies: holding answer 23 October 2008
	It is part of Government offices role to connect Whitehall to key regional players and join up the agencies, non-departmental public bodies and regulators which operate regionally. In this instance, Government office for the south-east is working with the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, other Government Departments and the many regulators involved in this project to promote progress and a joined up response to the issue.

Anti-corruption Champion

David Heath: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice if he will make a statement on his role as anti-corruption champion.

Jack Straw: The Government take very seriously their responsibility to tackle international and domestic corruption and as the anti-corruption champion, I will be taking forward the reform of the law on bribery and developing a comprehensive UK strategy for tackling foreign bribery, including a full response to the recent OECD report.
	The UK is recognised as one of the least corrupt countries in the world—16(th) in the world and 3(rd) of G8 countries and we are committed to tackling foreign bribery by UK firms. We have had the first conviction for foreign bribery in international transactions this summer and over 20 foreign bribery investigations.
	We have already announced in May this year in the Draft Legislative Programme that we intend to introduce a draft Bribery Bill in the next Session. This will be informed by the Law Commission report on Bribery, due next month.

Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority

Nigel Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what assessment he has made of the performance of the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority against its objectives.

Jack Straw: Rigorous performance assessment systems are in place. Performance is monitored and managed against CICA's agreed objectives as set out in the 2008-09 Business Plan, on a monthly basis by the Sponsor Unit. Assessment to date shows that CICA's unit cost per case has reduced, the time for registering an application has reduced, the cycle time to reach a first decision has reduced, and the size of the live caseload has reduced and is the lowest it has been in 20 years.

Titan Prisons

John Baron: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what progress has been made on the Government's plans to build Titan prisons.

Jack Straw: The Government are currently analysing the responses to their recent consultation exercise and plan to publish their response later this year.

Prisons: North West

Ben Wallace: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice which local authorities in the North West have expressed an interest in a Titan prison being established in their area.

Jack Straw: One local authority in the North West has so far indicated sites available in their area as possibly being suitable, that is Lancaster and Wyre.

Council Tax Benefit

Daniel Rogerson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people he estimates are  (a) eligible for and  (b) in receipt of council tax benefit in each region.

Kitty Ussher: holding answer 23 October 2008
	Estimates of the number of people eligible for council tax benefit are not available below the level of Great Britain.
	The latest available information on the number of council tax benefit recipients by region is in the table.
	
		
			  Council tax benefit recipients by Government Office Region: August 2007 
			   Number 
			 Great Britain 5,079,080 
			 North East 296,640 
			 North West 682,710 
			 Yorkshire and the Humber 459,010 
			 East Midlands 336,230 
			 West Midlands 504,300 
			 East 391,780 
			 London 728,010 
			 South East 503,910 
			 South West 368,200 
			 Wales 281,890 
			 Scotland 526,400 
			  Notes: 1. The data refers to benefit units, which may be a single person or a couple. 2. The figures have been rounded to the nearest 10. 3. Figures for any non-responding authorities have been estimated. 4. Figures may not sum due to rounding 5. Council tax benefit totals exclude any second adult rebate cases.  Source: Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit Management Information System Quarterly 100 per cent. caseload stock-count taken in August 2007.

Pensioners: Income

Joan Walley: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what measures are in place to ensure that pensioners in receipt of a state pension and SERPS are not disadvantaged compared to those entitled to pension credits.

Rosie Winterton: The Government provide a solid foundation of support for pensioners through the state pension system while focusing available resources on those who need most through targeted measures such as pension credit.
	At the same time, pensioners in general are entitled to a range of benefits and concessions, including winter fuel payments; free TV licenses for those aged over 75; and free bus travel, prescriptions, and eye tests for the over 60s.
	At the point of initial contact with the Department pensioners are given information on the range of benefits to which they may be entitled.
	Reforms by the Government will provide a firmer foundation for future pensioners through a simpler, more widely available and generous state pension.

Poverty: Children

John Battle: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  how many and what proportion of three-to five-year olds were living in relative poverty in Leeds West constituency in each year since 1997;
	(2)  how many and what proportion of three-to five-year olds were living in workless households in Leeds West constituency in each year since 1997.

Kitty Ussher: Our child poverty statistics, published in the Households Below Average Income series, allow a breakdown of child poverty by Government office region. Information on the number and proportion of three to five-year-olds living in relative poverty is not available below the level of Government office region.
	Data on the proportion of three to five-year-olds living in workless households is estimated using the Annual Population Survey (APS). As with any sample survey, estimates from the APS are subject to a margin of uncertainty as different samples give different results. As the group in question is very specific, the estimates are based on very small sample sizes. Therefore, the margin of uncertainty is very large for these estimates and they are deemed unreliable for practical purposes. It is not possible to provide estimates from 1997 to 2003.
	The following tables show the number and proportion of children aged three to five living in workless working age households in the Leeds, West constituency for the period January to December in each year since 2004.
	Accompanying each estimate is a confidence interval which means that from all samples possible there would be 95 per cent. certainty that the true estimate would lie within the lower and upper bounds.
	
		
			  Number of children aged three to five in workless households in Leeds, West constituency, calendar years January to December in each year 
			   Estimate  Lower bound  Upper bound 
			 2004 2,000 0 2,000 
			 2005 2,000 0 2,000 
			 2006 1,000 0 2,000 
			 2007 1,000 0 2,000 
		
	
	
		
			  Percentage of children aged three to five in workless households in Leeds, West constituency, calendar years January to December in each year 
			   Estimate  Lower bound  Upper bound 
			 2004 41.0 10.5 71.5 
			 2005 52.0 23.8 80.2 
			 2006 25.6 0 56.2 
			 2007 22.6 0 46.2 
			  Notes:  1. Figures for households are based on working age households. A working age household is a household that includes at least one person of working age—that is a woman aged 16 to 59 or a man aged 16 to 64.   Source:  Annual Population Survey Household Datasets.

Winter Fuel Payments: York

Hugh Bayley: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  how much he expects to pay to pensioner households in York in winter fuel payments in 2008-09;
	(2)  what estimate he has made of the number of households in York which will receive the  (a) £250 and  (b) £400 winter fuel payment in 2008-09.

Rosie Winterton: The information is as follows:
	 PQ/08/230253
	Expenditure on winter fuel payments in the parliamentary constituency of York in 2006-07 was £3.5 million. Expenditure on winter fuel payments in the local authority area in 2006-07 was £6.5 million. Forecasts of benefit expenditure are not produced below national level and it is not possible to derive a forecast for 2008-09 using 2006-07 outturn data because the benefit rates for winter fuel payments have changed for 2008-09 and because adequate caseload data is not available.
	 Source:
	Information directorate 100 per cent. data.
	 PQ/08/230254
	Figures for winter 2007-08 are not yet available.
	In winter 2006-07 we made:
	10,810 winter fuel payments to households in the city of York constituency and 20,820 winter fuel payments to households in York local authority with a member aged 60-79; and
	4,080 winter fuel payments to households in the city of York constituency and 7,340 winter fuel payments to households in York local authority with a member aged 80 or over.
	We expect in 2008-09 similar numbers to receive the £250 and £400 respectively.
	 Notes:
	1. Figures rounded to the nearest ten.
	2. Parliamentary constituencies and local authorities are assigned by matching postcodes against the relevant ONS postcode directory.
	3. Please note that a small number of these households receive amounts higher than the usual rate for their age group, where the household includes more than two individuals each entitled to payments at half of the usual household rate.
	 Source:
	Information directorate 100 per cent. data.

Bank Services: Iceland

Ian Cawsey: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether all UK charities who had deposits with Kaupthing, Singer and Friedlander Bank will have those deposits fully protected by the Government.

Ian Pearson: holding answer 14 October 2008
	 The Government have put in place arrangements to ensure that all FSCS-eligible depositors in the Icelandic banks of Landsbanki, Heritable and Kaupthing Singer and Friediander will receive their money in full. If a charity is eligible to claim compensation from the Financial Services Compensation Scheme, it will be entitled to benefit from these arrangements.

Banking Services: Small Businesses

Hugh Robertson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment the Government has made of the likely effect on small businesses of the collapse of Kaupthing, Singer and Friedlander Limited.

Ian Pearson: holding answer 16 October 2008
	 The Government have put in place arrangements to ensure that all FSCS-eligible depositors in the Icelandic banks of Kaupthing Singer and Friedlander will receive their money in full. If a small business is eligible to claim compensation from the Financial Services Compensation Scheme, it will be entitled to benefit from these arrangements. Those depositors that are ineligible for FSCS compensation will be creditors of the bank in the normal way.

Accident and Emergency Departments: Admissions

Michael Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what percentage of patients required emergency readmissions within 28 days of emergency admission to hospital in each of the last five years.

Ben Bradshaw: The information is not available in the format requested. The information that is available (from the National Centre for Health Outcomes Development (NCHOD)) is provided for three different age groups.
	
		
			  Percentage of emergency readmission to any hospital in England occurring within 28 days of discharge from hospital 
			   Age group 
			   Ages 0-15  Ages 16-74  Ages 75 plus 
			 2006-07 9.08 8.82 13.82 
			 2005-06 8.90 8.51 13.63 
			 2004-05 8.58 8.14 13.05 
			 2003-04 8.25 7.73 12.19 
			 2002-03 8.29 7.39 11.60 
			  Note: Indirectly age, sex, method of admission of discharge spell, diagnosis (ICD 10 chapter/selected sub-chapters within medical specialties) and procedure (OPCS 4 chapter/selected sub-chapters within surgical specialties) standardised rates. Standardised to persons 2002-03.  Source: Compendium of Clinical and Health Indicators/Clinical and Health Outcomes Knowledge Base www.nchod.nhs.uk or www.nchod.nhs.uk released October 2008.

Cancer: Surgery

Christopher Chope: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the Government's policy is on the use of cyber knife robotic radio surgery for cancer patients.

Ann Keen: CyberKnife technology has yet to be evaluated in a United Kingdom clinical setting and so is not currently available as a standard treatment on the national health service.
	It is for local primary care trusts (PCTs) to use the funds allocated to them to meet the health care needs of their local populations. A consultant or clinician may recommend the use of CyberKnife for the treatment of cancer but it would be for the PCT to agree to supply the treatment at NHS expense.

Care Homes: Infectious Diseases

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what data his Department holds on rates of healthcare-associated infections in care homes.

Ann Keen: Information on rates of health care associated infections in care homes is not collected centrally.

Care Homes: Inspections

Stephen Hepburn: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many nursing homes have been inspected in  (a) South Tyneside,  (b) Tyne and Wear and  (c) England in each year since 2000.

Phil Hope: We are informed by the Commission for Social Care Inspection (CSCI) that the numbers of nursing homes inspected in South Tyneside and England in each year since 2003-04 are as shown in the table. CSCI does not collect data for Tyne and Wear, which is not a council with adult social services responsibility area.
	Information for the period between 2000 and that shown in the table is not held centrally. CSCI only has inspection records from the time of the establishment of its predecessor, the National Care Standards Commission (NCSC), in 2002. During the first months of NCSC's existence, there was a delay in registering some homes, so complete data for 2002-03 is not available.
	
		
			  Number of nursing homes subject to inspection by CSCI in South Tyneside and England per year 
			  Year ending 31 March  South Tyneside  England 
			 2004 12 4,141 
			 2005 13 4,108 
			 2006 12 4,123 
			 2007 12 4,119 
			 2008 12 4,153 
			  Source: CSCI registration and inspection database, static data cut 2 May 2008.

Community Care: Elderly

Greg Mulholland: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people over the age of 65 years were supported to live at home in  (a) England and  (b) each strategic health authority area in each of the last five years.

Phil Hope: The NHS Information Centre for health and social care collects and publishes data on the number of people receiving community based care which is either partly or wholly funded by councils with adult social services responsibilities (CASSRs). Data is not collected centrally at strategic health authority level.
	Information is shown in the following tables. Table 1 shows the number of people aged 65 and over receiving community-based care from CASSRs at 31 March 2004. Table 2 shows the same data for 31 March 2005 to 2008. Guidance relating to clients receiving services was restated for 2004-05 to only include clients who are assessed by social services and who have a care plan. In previous years, some councils included clients receiving services from grant-funded organisations without a community care assessment. Therefore data for 2004-05 onwards is not comparable with earlier data. Additional clarification was also given on the recording of some types of services. These amendments mainly affect clients receiving community-based services.
	
		
			  Table 1: Total number of clients in England receiving community-based services at 31 March 
			   Number 
			 2004 662,000 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 2: Total number of clients in England receiving community-based services at 31 March 
			   Number 
			 2005 642,000 
			 2006 652,000 
			 2007 647,000 
			 2008 (1)661,000 
			 (1) 2008 figures are provisional. Fully validated data will be available in February 2009.  Notes: 1. The England total is an estimate based on actual figures. 2. Figures are rounded.  Source: RAP proforma P2s

Dispensing Appliance Contractors

Michael Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many dispensing appliance contractors have been prosecuted for fraudulent use of dispensing licences in the last five years; and how many of those prosecutions related to the wrongful use of multiple licences for financial benefit.

Ann Keen: Responses to the June consultation were received from:
	41 industry representatives
	13 patient groups
	27 NHS organisations
	Control of entry was outside the scope of the June consultation. However, some assessment of the implications of the proposed remuneration system for appliance contractors with multiple dispensing licences has been made in the impact assessment—small firms sections—to illustrate the impact of different licence arrangements on the different possible remunerations (pages 26, 27).
	In the September 2007 consultation, the infrastructure payment cap was set at 35,000 part IX items dispensed per month. This cap was raised to 50,000 items per month in the June 2008 consultation.
	The proposal took account of views expressed by interested parties in response to the September 2007 consultation that:
	the level of infrastructure payment proposed could disrupt ongoing patient care;
	the banded structure for the infrastructure payment would affect individual contractors in a different way, inadvertently favouring some providers over others; and
	the volume cap proposed was too low and disadvantaged companies dispensing a high number of part IX prescription items to an excessive extent.
	Views were sought on the new proposals and the Department is in the process of analysing responses.
	140 responses were received to the September 2007 consultation. Of these:
	none requested a cap of 50,000 prescription items; and
	two respondents advocated the removal of the cap.

Health Centres

Lee Scott: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many representations his Department has received from general practitioners requesting a further consultation in respect of proposals to establish polyclinics.

Ann Keen: The Department has run a search of its database, which shows that we have received in excess of 1,000 letters on the subject of Polyclinics. However, due to the way data is collected it is not possible to provide the number of letters received from general practitioners.

Social Workers: Manpower

Paul Holmes: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many social workers per 100,000 residents there were in  (a) Chesterfield,  (b) Derbyshire and  (c) England in each year since 1997.

Ann Keen: The NHS Information Centre for health and social care collect and publish data relating to the number of social workers directly employed by social services departments within councils with social services responsibilities.
	Data are not collected centrally for the Chesterfield parliamentary constituency.
	The following table shows that data for the number of whole-time equivalent social workers per 100,000 head of population for Derbyshire and England as of the 30 September each year from 1997 to 2007.
	Data for 2008 is expected to be published in spring 2009.
	
		
			   England  Derbyshire 
			 1997 71.4 62.2 
			 1998 72.1 59.6 
			 1999 73.1 62.1 
			 2000 75.0 70.0 
			 2001(1) 76.4 67.7 
			 2002(1) 78.2 72.5 
			 2003 81.1 74.2 
			 2004 82.1 78.9 
			 2005 83.9 78.5 
			 2006 86.5 78.0 
			 2007 87.6 76.2 
			  Notes:  1. Figures are the sum of rounded numbers.  Source:  SSDS00l

Wind Power

Mark Williams: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what information his Department holds on whether  (a) the output of fossil fuel power stations may be reduced for periods when wind power is available and  (b) there are periods of duplication of production.

Mike O'Brien: I have been asked to reply.
	The information is as follows:
	 (a) National Grid is responsible for procuring balancing services in order to balance demand and supply and to ensure the security and quality of electricity supply across the GB Transmission System. National Grid may call plant on and off the system in order to maintain this balance.
	 (b) There can be no duplication of electrical generation as supply cannot be greater than demand.

Departmental Recruitment Agencies

Greg Hands: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government which recruitment agencies  (a) her Department and  (b) its agencies have used in the last three years; and how much was paid to each of these recruitment agencies in each year.

Sadiq Khan: Communities and Local Government spent the following on temporary agency staff between 2005 and 2007:
	
		
			   £ 
			 2005-06 5,588,465 
			 2006-07 5,623,769 
		
	
	Changes in the way financial data was collected in 2007-08 means that total spend on agency temps could be made available only at disproportionate cost. Names of companies and breakdown of spend per company could also be made available only at disproportionate cost.

Design for Manufacturer

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the location and address of each site in the Design for Manufacturer competition is; and which sites have completed their home building process.

Iain Wright: The Design for Manufacture competition, which was launched in April 2005, was run by English Partnerships on behalf of the Department for Communities and Local Government. The competition was the Government's challenge to the house building industry to build high-quality, well-designed homes for £60,000. The figure of £60,000 relates to a target construction cost for building a two bedroom home and does not reflect the development cost or sale price.
	The 10 sites included in the Design for Manufacture competition are:
	Site 6, Oxley Park, Milton Keynes;
	Former TA Centre, Oxford Road, Aylesbury;
	Site D2, Upton, Northampton;
	Area 2, Allerton Bywater, near Leeds;
	Former Renny Lodge Hospital, London Road, Newport Pagnell;
	Former Park Prewett Hospital, Kingsclere Road, Basingstoke;
	Leybourne Grange, Maidstone;
	Rowan Lodge School, Merton, London;
	School Road, Hastings; and
	Former Greenhithe Territorial Army Centre, Horn's Cross, Dartford.
	Build out is mostly being taken forward on a phased basis and construction work is well advanced on most of the sites, with a number of phases completed, homes occupied and communities established. Renny Lodge in Newport Pagnell is the only site where all of the homes and public realm being built through the competition have been completed.

Energy Performance Certificates

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government 
	(1)  from what date energy performance certificates are required for a residential property sale; and at what stage in a sale;
	(2)  at what point in the residential sale process an energy performance certificate must be provided.

Iain Wright: There has been a requirement to provide a Home Information Pack containing an EPC from August 2007 for the sale of dwellings of four bedrooms and over, September 2007 for dwellings of three bedrooms and all remaining dwellings from December 2007.
	An EPC is required for the sale of all homes from 1usb October 2008. This includes properties that do not require a HIP, either because they are exempt, or because they were placed on the market before the requirement to have a HIP commenced for their category.
	The EPC must be made available for any home, free of charge, to a prospective buyer from 1 October 2008, at the earliest opportunity and in any event where any of the following happens:
	When the building is viewed (even if that means providing the EPC before any written information is provided)
	If written information about the building is provided as a result of a request by a prospective purchaser
	Before contracts are exchanged
	It is not placing a property on the market that defines the point at which an EPC must be available, but any of the circumstances listed above.

Homelessness: Young People

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many people aged 18 to 21 years approached their local authority for accommodation on the basis that they were homeless in each local authority area in the latest period for which figures are available.

Iain Wright: Information about English local housing authorities' actions under the homelessness legislation (Part 7 of the Housing Act 1996) is collected quarterly at local authority level. Data collected includes all decisions made on applications for assistance by eligible applicants, and the number of these applicants accepted by local housing authorities as eligible for assistance, unintentionally homeless and in priority need, and therefore owed a main homelessness duty (to secure that suitable accommodation is available). These households are known as 'accepted' households.
	Information on applications for assistance under the homelessness legislation by age is not held centrally. However the number of households accepted by local authorities as eligible for assistance, unintentionally homeless and in priority need, and therefore owed a main homelessness duty, is collected by age bands, and includes those applicants who are aged between 16 and 24-years-old.
	A table has been placed in the Library showing total acceptances of applicants aged between 16 and 24-years-old, by each local authority, for the most recent quarter for which information is available—April to June 2008.

Housing

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what issues the forthcoming Housing Green Paper will address; and what the timetable is for its publication.

Margaret Beckett: The Government announced in 'Preparing Britain for the future: the Government's draft legislative programme 2008-09' (available from The Stationery Office)
	http://www.official-documents.gov.uk/document/cm73/7372/7372.pdf
	its intention to publish a Housing Reform Green Paper towards the end of 2008. It said that the Green Paper would set out
	"proposals to provide housing services and options which help and encourage people towards greater economic independence and social mobility—matching responsibility with opportunity so that they can realise their potential and best meet their own housing aspirations in the future—and to deliver greater fairness and make best use of resources".
	I am currently considering the content and timing of the Green Paper.

Regional Planning and Development

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government which regional spatial strategies or regional planning guidance documents currently in effect have maximum parking standards in place for  (a) residential and  (b) non-residential development.

Iain Wright: All Regional Spatial Strategies currently, in effect, contain policies relating to parking standards for  (a) residential and  (b) non-residential development. Whether these standards are treated as maximums or not depend on the region. These parking standard policies are informed by PPG 13 Transport and PPS3 Housing.
	 North East— Policy 54
	http://www.gos.gov.uk/gone/ourregion/regional_strategies/
	The RSS does not define the maximum parking standards for residential and non-residential development, it is the LDF which sets these standards so as to reflect local circumstances.
	 North West—Policy RT2
	http://www.gos.gov.uk/gonw/Planning/RegionalPlanning/
	The maximum parking standards cover non-residential developments only.
	 Yorkshire and Humber—Policy T2
	http://www.yhassembly.gov.uk/News/2007/Assembly%20welcomes%20publication%20of%20RSS%20panel%20report/
	The maximum parking standards cover non-residential developments only.
	 East Midlands—Policy 47
	http://www.gos.gov.uk/goern/psc/suscom/rss/eastmidlandsplan/
	The maximum parking standards cover non-residential developments only.
	 West Midlands—Policy T7
	http://www.wmra.gov.uk/page.asp?id=47
	The RSS does not define the maximum parking standards for residential and non-residential development; it is the LDF which sets these standards so as to reflect local circumstances.
	 East of England—Policy T14
	http://www.eera.gov.uk/category.asp?cat=120
	The RSS defines the maximum parking standards for residential and non-residential development as set out in PPG 13 Transport; but it is the LDF which interprets these standards so as to reflect local circumstances.
	 South East—Policy T12
	http://www.southeast-ra.gov.uk/southeastplan/plan/view_plan.html
	The RSS states that local parking standards set out in LDFs for residential and non-residential development have to be line with PPG 13 Transport.
	 South West—Policy RTS3
	http://www.southwest-ra.gov.uk/nqcontent.cfm?a_id=836
	The maximum parking standards cover non-residential developments only.
	 London—Policies 3C.23 and C3.24
	http://www.london.gov.uk/thelondonplan/
	The London Plan does define the maximum parking standards for residential, and non-residential development; the boroughs should interpret these standards so as to reflect local circumstances.

Social HomeBuy

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government 
	(1)  pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Welwyn, Hatfield of 15 September 2008,  Official Report, column 2086W, on housing: low incomes, which local authorities and housing associations offer the scheme; and which localities the housing associations cover;
	(2)  which  (a) local authorities and  (b) housing associations in London offer Social Homebuy to their tenants.

Iain Wright: The following local authorities offer the voluntary Social HomeBuy scheme to their tenants: London Boroughs of Camden, Croydon, Hammersmith and Fulham, Islington, Lambeth, Southwark and Wandsworth; and Fareham, Harlow and Waveney District Councils.
	68 housing associations also offer the scheme to their tenants in all nine regions, including in 25 of the 33 London boroughs. The following table shows the housing associations by regions and local authorities.
	
		
			  List of Housing Associations offering Social HomeBuy by local authorities 
			  Region  Local authority  Housing association 
			  East Midlands Ashfield East Midlands 
			  Gedling Accent Nene Ltd. 
			  Leicester Places for People 
			  Lincoln Sanctuary 
			  North West Leicestershire East Midlands 
			  Northampton Servite 
			  Nottingham City Guinness Trust 
			  Wellingborough Places for People 
			
			  Eastern Basildon Guinness Trust 
			   Padington Churches 
			   South Anglia 
			  Bedford Aldwyck 
			  Broadland Wherry 
			  Cambridge Wherry 
			  Colchester Paddington Churches 
			  Dacorum Hightown 
			  East Cambridgeshire Sanctuary 
			  East Hertfordshire Aldwyck 
			   South Anglia 
			  Harlow East Thames Group 
			  Hertsmere Aldwyck 
			  Ipswich Wherry 
			  Kings Lynn and West Norfolk Wherry 
			  Luton South Anglia 
			  North Hertfordshire Paddington Churches 
			  Peterborough Accent Nene Ltd. 
			  South Norfolk Wherry 
			  Southend-on-Sea Estuary 
			  Thurrock Southern Housing Group Ltd. 
			
			  London Barking and Dagenham East Thames Group 
			   Peabody Trust 
			  Bexley Downland 
			   Gallions 
			  Brent Metropolitan Housing Trust 
			   Paddington Churches 
			  Bromley Broomleigh 
			  Camden Community 
			  Croydon Moat House 
			   Peabody Trust 
			   Presentation 
			  Ealing Acton 
			   ASRA Greater London 
			   Catalyst Housing Group Ltd 
			  Greenwich Gallions 
			   Peabody Trust 
			  Hackney Circle 33 
			   Family Mosaic Housing 
			   Guinness Trust 
			  Hammersmith and Fulham Notting Hill 
			  Haringey Circle 33 
			   Peabody Trust 
			   Presentation 
			  Harrow Metropolitan Housing Trust 
			  Havering East Thames Group 
			  Hillingdon Metropolitan Housing Trust 
			   Peabody Trust 
			  Hounslow Places for People 
			  Islington Circle 33 
			   Family Mosaic Housing 
			  Kensington and Chelsea Notting Hill 
			   Octavia Housing 
			  Lambeth Peabody Trust 
			   Presentation 
			  Lewisham London and Quadrant Housing Trust 
			  Newham Asra Greater London 
			   East Thames Group 
			   Southern Housing Group Ltd 
			  Redbridge East Thames Group 
			  Southwark Family Mosaic Housing 
			   Southern Housing Group Ltd 
			  Tower Hamlets East Thames Group 
			   Newlon 
			   Southern Housing Group Ltd 
			  Waltham Forest Circle 33 
			   East Thames Group 
			   Family Mosaic Housing 
			  Wandsworth London and Quadrant Housing Trust 
			  Blyth Valley Places for People 
			  Chester-Le-Street Three Rivers 
			  Darlington Three Rivers 
			  Derwentside Three Rivers 
			  Easington Three Rivers 
			  Gateshead Three Rivers 
			  Hartlepool Housing Hartlepool 
			   Three Rivers 
			  Middlesbrough William Sutton Trust 
			  Newcastle Upon Tyne Guinness Trust 
			   Nomad 
			  North Tyneside Nomad 
			  Redcar and Cleveland Three Rivers 
			  Sedgefield Three Rivers 
			  South Tyneside Three Rivers 
			   William Sutton Trust 
			  Sunderland Home Group Limited 
			   Three Rivers 
			  Teesdale Three Rivers 
			  Wear Valley Three Rivers 
			
			  North West Allerdale Home Group Limited 
			  Barrow-In-Furness Accent Corporate Services 
			  Blackburn Places for People 
			  Burnley Accent Corporate Services Places For People 
			  Chorley Places For People 
			  Copeland Home Group Limited 
			  Crewe and Nantwich Sanctuary 
			  Hyndburn Places For People 
			  Knowsley Knowsley Housing Trust 
			  Liverpool CDS Housing 
			   Contour 
			   Regenda 
			   Riverside 
			  Manchester Contour 
			   Guinness Trust 
			   Manchester Methodist 
			   Places For People 
			  Oldham Manchester Methodist 
			   Regenda 
			  Preston Places For People 
			  Rossendale Places For People 
			  Sefton Greater Hornby 
			   Servite 
			  St. Helens Helena 
			  Tameside Regenda 
			  Wirral Regenda 
			
			  South East Arun Servite 
			  Ashford Moat Homes 
			   Southern Housing Group Ltd. 
			  Aylesbury Vale Hightown 
			  Basingstoke and Deane Sentinel Housing Association Ltd. 
			  Brighton and Hove Southern Housing Group Ltd. 
			  Canterbury Sanctuary 
			  Cherwell Catalyst Housing Group Ltd. 
			  Crawley Guinness Trust 
			  East Hampshire Swaythling 
			  Eastbourne Places For People 
			  Milton Keynes Aldwyck 
			  New Forest Swaythling 
			  Reading Thames Valley 
			  Southampton Swaythling 
			  Test Valley Aster 
			   Testway 
			  Tunbridge Wells Town & Country Housing 
			  Wealden Home Group Limited 
			  West Berkshire Sovereign 
			  Windsor and Maidenhead Swaythling 
			  Worthing Southern Housing Group Ltd. 
			
			  South West Bath and North East Somerset Somer Community 
			   Western Challenge 
			  Bournemouth Western Challenge 
			  Bristol Knightstone 
			   Places For People 
			  Bristol Sovereign 
			  Cheltenham Sanctuary 
			
			  South West Christchurch Western Challenge 
			  Exeter Sovereign 
			   Western Challenge 
			  Gloucester Aster 
			  Mendip Western Challenge 
			  North Cornwall Western Challenge 
			  North Dorset Western Challenge 
			  North Wiltshire Western Challenge 
			  Plymouth Devon & Cornwall 
			   Guinness Trust 
			   Sovereign 
			   Western Challenge 
			  Poole Swaythling 
			   Western Challenge 
			  Salisbury Swaythling 
			  South Gloucestershire Western Challenge 
			  Swindon Western Challenge 
			  Tewkesbury Evesham & Pershore 
			
			  West Midlands Birmingham Bromford 
			   Mercian 
			   Midland Heart 
			   Servite 
			   West Mercia 
			  Coventry Guinness Trust 
			  Lichfield Mercian 
			  Malvern Hills Elgar 
			  Sandwell Accord 
			  Stoke-on-Trent Empowering People 
			   Sanctuary 
			  The Wrekin Wrekin Housing Trust 
			  Wolverhampton Bromford 
			  Worcester City West Mercia 
			  Wychavon Evesham & Pershore 
			   Spa Housing Association 
			  Yorkshire and Humberside Bradford Manningham 
			   Places For People 
			   William Sutton Trust 
			  Kingston Upon Hull Places For People 
			   William Sutton Trust 
			  Leeds William Sutton Trust 
			  Sheffield Places For People 
			  York Joseph Rowntree Housing Trust

Criminal Proceedings

David Ruffley: To ask the Solicitor-General in how many and what percentage of cases  (a) a guilty plea was registered and  (b) a conviction resulted in (i) Crown Courts and (ii) magistrates courts in each of the last 10 years; and if she will make a statement.

Vera Baird: The following tables show, for each of the last 10 years, the number of defendants whose case was completed in magistrates courts and in the Crown court, together with the number and proportion which resulted in a conviction and in an unsuccessful outcome.
	Convictions are divided into those cases in which the defendant pleaded guilty, and those convicted after trial. Additionally, convictions in magistrates courts include those proceedings, mostly minor motoring matters, which were proved in the absence of the defendant. Unsuccessful outcomes comprise all outcomes other than a conviction.
	Against a background of falling crime, and hence of falling case loads, convictions in magistrates courts rose from. 76.8 per cent. of completed cases in 1998-99 to 85.7 per cent. in 2007-08. In the Crown court, convictions rose over the same period from 77.8 per cent. to 79.3 per cent. These figures illustrate the growing success of the CPS in ensuring that offenders are brought to justice. In particular, the decisive trend towards rising conviction rates over the last five years underlines the positive benefits of Statutory Charging, under which the CPS is responsible for determining the charges in all more serious; complex; and contested cases, particularly those in which the liberty of the individual is at risk.
	
		
			  Crown court 
			   Guilty pleas  %  Conviction after trial  %  Total convictions  %  Unsuccessful outcomes  %  Total prosecutions 
			 1998-99 59,374 66.2 10,378 11.6 69,752 77.8 19,892 22.2 89,644 
			 1999-2000 55,407 63.8 10,530 12.1 65,937 75.9 20,894 24.1 86,831 
			 2000 -01 51,596 62.5 9,820 11.9 61,416 74.4 21,183 25.6 82,599 
			 2001-02 51,824 61.5 9,925 11.8 61,749 73.2 22,575 26.8 84,324 
			 2002-03 58,624 62.0 11,613 12.3 70,237 74.3 24,309 25.7 94,546 
			 2003-04 59,537 62.5 11,255 11.8 70,792 74.3 24,436 25.7 95,228 
			 2004-05 58,222 64.1 10,059 11.1 68,281 75.1 22,609 24.9 90,890 
			 2005-06 60,252 67.0 8,734 9.7 68,986 76.7 20,984 23.3 89,970 
			 2006-07 60,918 68.1 8,200 9.2 69,118 77.3 20,290 22.7 89,408 
			 2007-08 69,242 71.4 7,705 7.9 76,947 79.3 20,045 20.7 96,992 
		
	
	
		
			  Magistrates court 
			   Guilty pleas  %  Proofs in absence  %  Conviction after trial  %  Total convictions  %  Unsuccess ful outcomes  %  Total prosecutions 
			 1998-99 811,335 64.3 113,426 9.0 43,993 3.5 968,754 76.8 292,106 23.2 1,260,860 
			 1999-2000 824,888 64.5 117,396 9.2 40,163 3.1 982,447 76.8 297,146 23.2 1,279,593 
			 2000-01 774,453 64.0 116,953 9.7 35,117 2.9 926,523 76.5 284,124 23.5 1,210,647 
			 2001-02 781,878 64.2 114,509 9.4 33,251 2.7 929,638 76.4 287,743 23.6 1,217,381 
			 2002-03 811,583 63.9 126,518 10.0 35,834 2.8 973,935 76.7 295,728 23.3 1,269,663 
			 2003-04 800,525 63.4 152,757 12.1 40,167 3.2 993,449 78.7 268,376 21.3 1,261,825 
			 2004-05 716,082 62.2 169,681 14.7 42,432 3.7 928,195 80.6 223,709 19.4 1,151,904 
			 2005-06 674,925 63.2 168,874 15.8 38,038 3.6 881,837 82.6 185,524 17.4 1,067,361 
			 2006-07 646,181 65.4 150,741 15.3 34,979 3.5 831,901 84.2 156,080 15.8 987,981 
			 2007-08 652,018 67.5 139,618 14.4 36,899 3.8 828,535 85.7 138,091 14.3 966,626

Law Officers' Department: Temporary Employment

Mark Hoban: To ask the Solicitor-General which companies were used by the Law Officers' Departments for providing temporary staff in each of the last five years; and what the value of contracts with each such company was in each of those years.

Vera Baird: The following table show the companies that have been used by the Attorney-General's Office, Treasury Solicitors Department (TSol) and HM Crown Prosecution Service Inspectorate for providing temporary staff in each of the last five financial years (records for these three Departments are held centrally by TSol and cannot be separated without incurring a disproportionate cost):
	
		
			  Company  2004  2005  2006  2007  2008 
			 AT Kearney Ltd. — — — — 9,000 
			 Abraxas Plc — — 30,000 46,000 144,000 
			 Adecco UK Ltd 843,000 683,000 956,000 1,104,000 1,349,000 
			 Allen Lane Financial Recruitment Consultants — — — 23,000 58,000 
			 Angela Mortimer Plc — 5,000 410,000 1,065,000 1,118,000 
			 Anvil Communications Ltd. — — — — 100,000 
			 Aptus Personnel Ltd. 10,000 — — — — 
			 ASA group 50,000 18,000 — — — 
			 Austin Benn Consultants Ltd, — — — 36,000 42,000 
			 Badenoch andClark 806,000 815,000 848,000 1,402,000 1,460,000 
			 Barnett Personnel Ltd. 38,000 — — — — 
			 Bevan Brittan LLP — — — 32,000 44,000 
			 Blue Arrow Ltd. 48,000 39,000 41,000 4,000 — 
			 Brook Street (UK) Ltd. 75,000 133,000 60,000 34,000 3,000 
			 Capita Health Solutions Ltd. — — — 1,000 — 
			 Capita Resourcing Ltd. 22,000 26,000 12,000 33,000 40,000 
			 Capita SHG Resourcing 25,000 82,000 1,000 — 42,000 
			 Cilip Government Libraries Group — 1,000 — — — 
			 City Centre Recruitment 1,000 — — — — 
			 Consult RS Ltd. 387,000 328,000 214,000 168,000 172,000 
			 Crown Costs Consultants Ltd — — — — 23,000 
			 Dickinson Dees — — — — 72,000 
			 Elan Computing Ltd. 514,000 571,000 506,000 297,000 161,000 
			 Erminia Business Services Ltd. — — — — 22,000 
			 Eurobase People Industry Leading Resources — — — 28,000 42,000 
			 Financial Services Authority — — — — 3,000 
			 Generic Software Consultants Ltd. 5,000 10,000 — — — 
			 Geoff Farmer & Co Ltd. — — — — 9,000 
			 George Harrington & Co 7,000 — — — 40,000 
			 Glotel International Ltd. 20,000 93,000 116,000 101,000 86,000 
			 Hassell Free Filing 1,000 — — — — 
			 Hays Accountancy Personnel — 1,000 22,000 6,000 — 
			 Hays Construction and Property — 12,000 45,000 9,000 66,000 
			 Hewitson Walker 181,000 351,000 77,000 262,000 681,000 
			 HSBC Invoice Finance (UK) Ltd. 4,000 — — — — 
			 Hudson Global Resources 118,000 182,000 220,000 112,000 323,000 
			 Hudson Shribman 60,000 58,000 66,000 100,000 43,000 
			 Huntress Recruitment Specialists 22,000 4,000 43,000 48,000 22,000 
			 Jonathan Wren — — 2,000 — — 
			 Josephine Sammons Ltd. 132,000 145,000 102,000 134,000 150,000 
			 Kelly Services (UK) Ltd. — — 15,000 12,000 — 
			 Law Temps Agency 32,000 — — — — 
			 Lawson Bishop Financial — — — 21,000 1,000 
			 M.J.D. Costs Consultancy — — — — 2,000 
			 Manchester City Council — — — 20,000 — 
			 Mark Pearson Communications Ltd. — — 5,000 20,000 51,000 
			 MG Morton — — — — 5,000 
			 Michael Page UK Ltd. 98,000 31,000 — — — 
			 Office Angels Ltd. 14,000 27,000 31,000 — — 
			 Opus Personnel (City) Ltd. 498,000 524,000 201,000 13,000 — 
			 Page Personnel 3,000 3,000 22,000 52,000 75,000 
			 Parity Resources Ltd. — — — — 11,000 
			 Parity Training Ltd. — — — — 31,000 
			 Paymaster (1836) Ltd. 3,000 — — — — 
			 Pro Law 64,000 36,000 — — — 
			 Quo Imus Ltd. — — — 32,000 71,000 
			 Raymond W. Bone — — — — 8,000 
			 Robert Half Ltd. — — — — 5,000 
			 SFW Ltd. — 25,000 47,000 — — 
			 Staple Inn Recruitment Ltd. 528,000 517,000 345,000 275,000 120,000 
			 Step Ahead — 8,000 82,000 14,000 12,000 
			 Stephanie Grundy 16,000 — — — — 
			 Stopgap Ltd. — — 44,000 32,000 — 
			 Sue Corbin — — — — 8,000 
			 TFPL Ltd. 9,000 13,000 22,000 25,000 21,000 
			 The Chartered Inst of Lib. and info. Profession 37,000 22,000 — — — 
			 Venn Group 19,000 — — — — 
			 Williams Lea Facilities Management Ltd. 83,000 — — — — 
			 Total 4,771,000 4,765,000 4,589,000 5,559,000 6,747,000 
		
	
	The following table show the companies that have been used by the Crown Prosecution Service for providing temporary staff in each of the last five financial years:
	
		
			  Company  2004 - 05  2005 - 06  2006 - 07  2007 - 08  2008 - 09 
			 Barnett Personnel 270,326 250,828 — — — 
			 Hudson Global Resources Ltd. 206,781 — 277,770 144,575 55,763 
			 Capita Business Services Ltd. 182,599 82,089 — — — 
			 Michael Page International 159,408 — — — — 
			 Office Angels 106,692 114,876 71,483 128,081 116,700 
			 Brook Street (UK) Ltd. 96,257 287,793 656,079 639,296 299,402 
			 Pathway It Resourcing 74,542 — — — — 
			 Parity Resources Ltd. 73,588 — — — — 
			 Robert Walters London 70,523 164,530 194,850 96,587 — 
			 Generic Software Consultants 62,693 — — — — 
			 Kelly Services (UK) Ltd. 59,287 93,059 — — — 
			 Hays Accountancy Personnel 54,634 264,835 408,775 588,573 341,325 
			 Hudson Global Resources Ltd. — 335,952 — — — 
			 Reed Employment Plc — 186,002 747,667 511,233 160,244 
			 Adecco UK Ltd. — 175,387 386,444 243,555 50,376 
			 Select Appointments Plc — 128,316 107,068 — — 
			 Manpower UK Ltd. — 128,033 200,140 143,086 — 
			 Parity Resources Ltd. — 101,236 164,107 177,563 — 
			 Eclipse Organisation Ltd. — 87,213 75,651 — — 
			 First Choice Recruitment — 83,294 — — — 
			 Step Ahead — 65,063 — — — 
			 Pro Ltd. — 60,958 — — — 
			 Pertemps Group of Companies — 60,900 — — — 
			 Quality Technology Solutions Ltd. — 57,558 — — — 
			 Reigate Thorn Baker Ltd. Nottingham — 50,569 — — — 
			 Praxis — — 259,763 74,891 — 
			 Morgan Law Recruitment Consultancy Ltd. — — 176,065 131,652 — 
			 Capita Resourcing Ltd. — — 114,014 163,830 52,342 
			 Whitgift Solutions Ltd. — — 55,799 55,589 — 
			 Essex Police Authority — — — 141,167 — 
			 MSB International — — — 71,483 75,636 
			 Badenoch and Clark — — — 63,621 — 
			 Nesco IT Altrincham — — — — 72,611 
			 Reed Personnel Services Plc — — — — 54,434 
			 Employment Plus Ltd. — — — — 50,689 
			 Cranleigh QI Consulting London SE1 — — — — 50,587 
			 Total 1„417,330 2,778,491 3,895,675 3347,782 1,380,109 
			 Note:  2004-05 figures include payments from 1 August only; data for the full financial year, and earlier years, could be obtained only at disproportionate cost due to changes in the Department's finance systems. Data for 2008-09 is for the six months to 30 September 2008. 
		
	
	The following table show the companies that have been used by the Crown Prosecution Service for providing temporary staff in each of the last five financial years:
	
		
			  Company  2004-05  2005-06  2006-07  2007-08  2008-09 
			 Barnett Personnel 270,326 250,828 — — — 
			 Hudson Global Resources Ltd. 206,781 — 277,770 144,575 55,763 
			 Capita Business Services Ltd. 182,599 82,089 — — — 
			 Michael Page International 159,408 — — — — 
			 Office Angels 106,692 114,876 71,483 128,081 116,700 
			 Brook Street (UK) Ltd. 96,257 287,793 656,079 639,296 299,402 
			 Pathway It Resourcing 74,542 — — — — 
			 Parity Resources Ltd. 73,588 — — — — 
			 Robert Walters London 70,523 164,530 194,850 96,587 — 
			 Generic Software Consultants 62,693 — — — — 
			 Kelly Services (UK) Ltd. 59,287 93,059 — — — 
			 Hays Accountancy Personnel 54,634 264,835 408,775 588,573 341,325 
			 Hudson Global Resources Ltd. — 335,952 — — — 
			 Reed Employment Plc — 186,002 747,667 511,233 160,244 
			 Adecco UK Ltd. — 175,387 386,444 243,555 50,376 
			 Select Appointments Plc — 128,316 107,068 — — 
			 Manpower UK Ltd. — 128,033 200,140 143,086 — 
			 Parity Resources Ltd. — 101,236 164,107 177,563 — 
			 Eclipse Organisation Ltd. — 87,213 75,651 — — 
			 First Choice Recruitment — 83,294 — — — 
			 Step Ahead — 65,063 — — — 
			 Pro Ltd. — 60,958 — — — 
			 Pertemps Group of Companies — 60,900 — — — 
			 Quality Technology Solutions Ltd. — 57,558 — — — 
			 Reigate Thorn Baker Ltd. Nottingham  50,569
			 Praxis — — 259,763 74,891 — 
			 Morgan Law Recruitment Consultancy Ltd. — — 176,065 131,652 — 
			 Capita Resourcing Ltd. — — 114,014 163,830 52,342 
			 Whitgift Solutions Ltd. — — 55,799 55,589 — 
			 Essex Police Authority — — — 141,167 — 
			 MSB International — — — 71,483 75,636 
			 Badenoch and Clark — — — 63,621 — 
			 Nesco IT Altrincham — — — — 72,611 
			 Reed Personnel Services Plc — — — — 54,434 
			 Employment Plus Ltd. — — — — 50,689 
			 Cranleigh QI Consulting London SE1 — — — — 50,587 
			 Total 1,.417,330 2,778,491 3,895,675 3,347,782 1,380,109 
			  Note:   2004-05 figures include payments from 1 August only; data for the full financial year, and earlier years, could be obtained only at disproportionate cost due to changes in the Department's finance systems. Data for 2008-09 is for the six months to 30 September 2008. 
		
	
	The following table show the companies that have been used by the Revenue and Customs Prosecutions Office (RCPO) for providing temporary staff in each of the last five financial years:
	
		
			  Company  2005-06  2006-07  2007-08  2008-09 
			 Allen Lane Financial Recruitment Consultants — 6,544 62,016 50,282 
			 Amanda Smith Recruitment — — 16,520 11,634 
			 Badenoch and Clark 18,040 26,724 30,152 — 
			 Capita Resourcing Ltd. 48,857 89,676 394 — 
			 City Centre Recruitment 129,707 568,495 616,464 374,945 
			 Hudson Global Resources Ltd. — 124,701 296,641 28,463 
			 Josephine Sammons Ltd. — 5,374 32,714 14,230 
			 Law Absolute Ltd. — — 79,776 13,608 
			 Page Personnel — — 1,563 9,323 
			 Robert Half Ltd. — — 10,125 6,462 
			 Sue Hill Recruitment and Services Ltd. — — 16,290 16,153 
			 Systems Accountants Ltd. — 12,549 46,596 5,752 
			 TFPL Ltd. — 5,740 6,110 10,575 
			 Total 196,603 839,804 1,215,630 541,609 
			  Note:  RCPO came into being on 18 April 2005

Adult Education

David Willetts: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what plans he has for the future use of lifelong learning networks; and if he will make a statement.

David Lammy: The Government and the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE), which funds the Lifelong Learning Networks (LLNs), are committed to the ongoing sustainability of their work. HEFCE has now invested approximately £105 million across 2005-11 in 30 LLNs.
	The Government and HEFCE are in no doubt about the value of LLNs. Their focus on progression and widening opportunity means that they can make an important contribution to a number of the Government's strategic objectives including lifelong learning, credit transfer, articulation arrangements between higher education programmes and the Qualifications and Credit Framework, employer engagement and workplace learning, and progression from the 14-19 diplomas.
	HEFCE's intention from the start was, and remains, that the initiatives of the LLNs must become embedded in the core business of institutions in order to survive long term. Each LLN was obliged to set out in its business case how it would meet longer term sustainability costs. HEFCE's arrangements for funding the LLNs sought explicitly to help institutions to work collaboratively by putting in place a number of processes and procedures. Although the early stages of this work were bound to be time consuming and expensive, HEFCE expects core LLN commitments to become part of the routine for partners as relationships and structures develop.
	The extent of LLN continuing activity will depend on how embedded each network becomes and that, in the end, depends on the commitment of the partner institutions. HEFCE has already acknowledged that networks may require additional time and space to plan a phased approach to sustainability, and LLNs have therefore been invited to re-profile the latter phases of their HEFCE funding. There should also be opportunities for LLNs to contribute more fully in key strategic areas such as employer engagement, for which they could potentially access further substantial resources from HEFCE.

Adult Education: Finance

David Evennett: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what assessment he has made of the effects on participation rates on concessionary fees in adult education under the age discrimination regulations.

Si�n Simon: The Government are committed to ensuring equal opportunities for all learners, and that learning serves the needs of the whole community, including older people both within and outside the workforce. Our strategy for World Class Skills and our reforms of wider adult learning are designed to ensure that everyone, whatever their age or background, has the opportunity to improve their skills, prospects and quality of life.
	Protection from discrimination on grounds of age was introduced in the area of employment and vocational training through the Employment Equality (Age) Regulations 2006. The Regulations mean that further education and training providers are not allowed to set age limits for access to training unless they can show objective justification why there is a real need to apply such limits, The Government has decided that all courses at further and higher education institutions are covered by the age regulations, whether they are specifically vocational or more general in nature. This ensures that there is a unified and consistent approach to age-related practices and policies in relation to all such provision.
	Fee concessions for Further Education (FE) provision are offered at the discretion (and cost) of individual colleges and other FE providers, such as Local Authorities, and I must stress that the Regulations do not bar providers from offering these fee discounts. Many colleges and other providers have longstanding, formal, informal and discretionary arrangements based on age when deciding eligibility for fee concessions, and it will continue to be the learning provider's decision as to whether to offer these subsidies to individuals. As a result, neither my Department nor the Learning and Skills Council (LSC) holds information on those learners who receive these concessions.
	I refer the hon. Member to my written statement of 16 May 2007,  Official Report, column 35WS:
	Guidance on the vocational training aspects of the Employment Equality (Age) Regulations is available on the DTI website. It is aimed at, amongst others, providers of further and adult education. The guidance makes it clear that age related practices, such as age related fee concessions, may be objectively justified where they are a proportionate means of achieving a legitimate aim. It is for providers to produce evidence of such objective justification if called upon to do so, or to take their own legal advice if necessary. Guidance on objective justification is also available on page 30 of the ACAS guidance on the Age Regulations.

Departmental Surveys

David Willetts: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills if he will place in the Library copies of  (a) surveys taken among his Department's employees since its inception and  (b) written analysis of their findings.

Si�n Simon: The Department is currently undertaking the first all staff survey since its creation on 28 June 2007 under machinery of government changes. The results of the survey will be published on the DIUS website when the survey is completed.

Higher Education: Research

Brian Binley: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills how much quality related funding has been awarded to each of the UK's universities since 2002.

David Lammy: Higher education funding is a devolved matter. Within England, quality-related research funding (QR) is allocated and distributed by the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE).
	The following table sets out QR funding from HEFCE from 2002/03 to 2008/09.
	Figures are in cash terms, and include late grant adjustments, and reflect mergers. Figures exclude research capability funds.
	
		
			   million 
			  Institution name  2002-03  2003-04  2004-05  2005-06  2006-07  2007-08  2008-09 
			 Anglia Ruskin University 0.4 0.3 0.3 0.3 0.3 0.4 0.3 
			 Aston University 4.7 5.0 5.6 6.3 6.9 7.0 6.8 
			 University of Bath 11.8 12.7 13.4 16.3 17.5 18.0 18.7 
			 Bath Spa University 0.2 0.1 0.1 0.2 0.2 0.2 0.2 
			 University of Bedfordshire 0.3 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.2 0.2 
			 Birkbeck College 6.4 6.8 7.2 8.8 9.5 9.8 9.8 
			 University of Birmingham 29.3 32.8 34.1 37.9 41.0 42.8 44.1 
			 BCU 1.0 0.6 0.6 0.7 0.7 0.9 0.8 
			 University of Bolton 0.2 0.2 0.2 0.2 0.3 0.3 0.3 
			 Bournemouth University 0.5 0.4 0.4 0.4 0.4 0.5 0.4 
			 University of Bradford 5.4 5.5 5.9 6.4 6.6 6.7 7.0 
			 University of Brighton 3.3 3.5 3.4 4.1 4.4 4.6 4.7 
			 University of Bristol 28.8 31.3 32.5 37.9 41.3 43.2 44.6 
			 Brunel University 6.2 6.3 6.6 7.6 8.1 8.3 8.1 
			 Buckinghamshire New University 0.3 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 
			 University of Cambridge 67.8 77.4 82.0 92.4 99.7 107.1 111.6 
			 Institute of Cancer Research 8.6 9.7 10.7 12.5 14.1 16.2 19.4 
			 Canterbury Christ Church University 0.2 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 
			 University of Central Lancashire 0.9 0.8 0.6 0.7 0.8 0.9 0.8 
			 University of Chester 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 
			 University of Chichester 0.2 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 
			 City University, London 4.9 4.5 4.6 5.2 5.9 6.1 6.4 
			 Courtauld Institute of Art 1.2 1.1 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.3 1.3 
			 Coventry University 0.9 0.4 0.4 0.5 0.6 0.6 0.6 
			 Cranfield University 4.7 4.2 4.3 5.5 5.6 9.6 9.8 
			 University for the Creative Arts 0.3 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 
			 University of Cumbria 0.1 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 
			 De Montfort University 4.2 3.3 3.4 3.6 3.8 4.1 4.1 
			 University of Derby 0.2 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 
			 University of Durham 15.9 17.2 17.6 21.4 23.1 23.7 23.9 
			 University of East Anglia 11.0 12.3 12.5 14.1 15.1 15.5 15.3 
			 University of East London 1.4 1.2 1.2 1.4 1.5 1.5 1.5 
			 Edge Hill University 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 
			 Institute of Education 5.2 6.1 6.4 7.6 8.2 8.5 8.7 
			 University of Essex 7.6 8.3 8.5 9.8 10.5 11.0 11.3 
			 University of Exeter 9.2 10.2 10.8 12.9 13.6 14.2 14.6 
			 University College Falmouth 0.3 0.2 0.1 0.2 0.1 0.1 0.1 
			 University of Gloucestershire 0.9 0.4 0.4 0.5 0.5 0.5 0.4 
			 Goldsmiths College 6.2 6.3 6.4 7.7 8.1 8.4 8.6 
			 University of Greenwich 1.9 1.1 1.0 1.1 1.0 1.3 1.3 
			 Harper Adams University College 0.1 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 
			 University of Hertfordshire 2.1 1.5 1.6 2.0 2.2 2.4 2.5 
			 University of Huddersfield 1.3 1.3 1.2 1.3 1.3 1.5 1.5 
			 University of Hull 5.1 4.8 4.8 5.8 6.0 6.2 6.3 
			 Imperial College 60.7 69.7 71.6 82.4 85.6 91.8 97.7 
			 Keele University 4.8 4.7 4.8 6.2 6.7 6.8 6.8 
			 University of Kent 5.6 5.4 5.5 7.2 7.7 8.0 8.1 
			 King's College London 37.5 40.8 42.5 48.9 52.9 58.4 60.0 
			 Kingston University 1.2 0.7 0.7 0.8 0.9 0.9 0.9 
			 Lancaster University 11.9 12.7 13.2 15.8 17.2 17.7 17.7 
			 University of Leeds 31.0 34.9 36.0 42.1 45.7 46.9 48.5 
			 Leeds Metropolitan University 0.7 0.2 0.2 0.2 0.2 0.3 0.2 
			 Leeds Trinity and All Saints 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 
			 University of Leicester 12.6 12.8 13.6 16.1 17.7 18.4 18.8 
			 University of Lincoln 0.2 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 
			 University of Liverpool 21.7 22.6 23.1 26.3 28.4 29.8 32.5 
			 Liverpool Hope University 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1 
			 Liverpool John Moores University 2.3 1.7 1.8 2.0 2.2 2.3 2.2 
			 University of the Arts London 6.4 7.0 7.1 8.7 9.4 9.7 9.7 
			 University of London 0.2 0.1 0.1 0.5 0.5 0.4 0.1 
			 London Business School 3.3 3.4 3.3 4.2 4.6 4.7 4.7 
			 London Sch. of Economics and Political Sci 11.9 13.2 13.8 16.3 17.6 18.1 18.3 
			 London Sch. of Hygiene and Tropical Med. 4.7 6.0 6.2 6.8 7.8 10.4 10.7 
			 London Metropolitan University 0.8 0.2 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1 
			 London South Bank University 1.7 1.1 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.3 
			 Loughborough University 11.0 11.3 12.2 14.3 15.2 15.6 16.2 
			 University of Manchester 51.8 58.1 60.6 68.9 74.3 77.0 82.2 
			 Manchester Metropolitan University 3.2 2.4 2.5 2.9 3.0 3.1 3.1 
			 Middlesex University 1.8 1.0 1.0 1.2 1.1 1.2 1.2 
			 University of Newcastle 22.9 25.9 26.6 30.7 32.1 32.9 34.0 
			 Newman University College 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 
			 University of Northampton 0.3 0.2 0.2 0.3 0.3 0.3 0.3 
			 Northumbria University 1.3 0.8 0.8 1.0 1.1 1.3 1.2 
			 Norwich University College of the Arts 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 
			 University of Nottingham 25.3 28.8 30.1 34.0 37.0 39.3 40.7 
			 Nottingham Trent University 2.7 2.3 2.3 2.5 2.5 2.6 2.3 
			 Open University 6.2 5.6 5.8 7.2 7.7 7.9 7.4 
			 School of Oriental and African Studies 4.6 5.1 5.1 6.1 6.6 6.8 7.6 
			 University of Oxford 64.9 76.0 79.6 90.2 97.5 104.2 110.1 
			 Oxford Brookes University 2.1 1.7 1.7 2.2 2.3 2.5 2.5 
			 School of Pharmacy 2.0 2.3 2.4 2.7 3.0 3.0 3.3 
			 University of Plymouth 3.0 2.4 2.5 3.0 3.2 3.4 3.4 
			 University College Plymouth 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 
			 University of Portsmouth 3.3 3.3 3.6 4.0 4.0 4.1 4.3 
			 Queen Mary, University of London 12.7 13.5 14.2 18.0 22.0 24.2 24.8 
			 University of Reading 16.4 17.2 17.3 20.7 22.0 22.6 22.3 
			 Roehampton University 1.0 0.7 0.8 1.0 1.0 1.0 0.9 
			 Rose Bruford College 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 
			 Royal Academy of Music 0.3 0.2 0.2 0.3 0.3 0.3 0.3 
			 Royal Agricultural College 0.1 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 
			 Royal College of Art 2.0 2.2 2.2 2.5 2.6 2.8 2.9 
			 Royal College of Music 0.2 0.2 0.2 0.3 0.3 0.4 0.3 
			 Royal Holloway, University of London 9.5 10.5 11.0 13.1 13.9 14.3 14.5 
			 Royal Northern College of Music 0.2 0.1 0.1 0.2 0.2 0.2 0.2 
			 Royal Veterinary College 2.4 2.8 3.0 3.8 4.1 4.6 4.9 
			 St. George's Hospital Medical School 3.4 3.1 3.1 3.5 5.2 7.3 7.5 
			 St. Mary's University College 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1 
			 University of Salford 5.7 5.7 5.8 7.3 7.7 7.9 7.6 
			 University of Sheffield 30.2 34.4 35.8 40.2 42.6 43.8 44.6 
			 Sheffield Hallam University 3.0 2.8 2.8 3.4 3.7 3.7 3.8 
			 University of Southampton 31.0 34.3 36.0 41.7 44.4 45.6 46.7 
			 Southampton Solent University 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 
			 Staffordshire University 0.8 0.5 0.5 0.5 0.6 0.6 0.6 
			 University of Sunderland 1.4 0.6 0.6 0.7 0.8 0.9 0.9 
			 University of Surrey 14.2 14.3 15.2 16.5 17.5 18.0 18.0 
			 University of Sussex 11.8 13.7 14.1 16.4 17.4 17.9 17.3 
			 University of Teesside 0.4 0.2 0.2 0.2 0.2 0.2 0.2 
			 Thames Valley University 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 
			 University College London 66.8 77.3 81.5 93.0 97.6 101.3 104.1 
			 University of Warwick 20.0 21.8 22.6 27.7 29.8 30.6 30.5 
			 University of West of England, Bristol 2.1 1.2 1.2 1.4 1.4 1.7 1.8 
			 University of Westminster 2.1 1.6 1.6 1.8 1.9 2.0 2.0 
			 University of Winchester 0.2 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.2 0.2 0.2 
			 University of Wolverhampton 0.7 0.3 0.2 0.2 0.2 0.3 0.2 
			 University of Worcester 0.1 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 
			 Writtle College 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 
			 University of York 14.5 16.7 17.6 21.0 22.8 23.4 24.0 
			 York St. John University 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 
			 England total 940.1 1,019.4 1,060.5 1,227.5 1,318.6 1,390.6 1,436.0

Scholarships: Overseas Students

David Willetts: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills how much has been spent on each publicly funded international student scholarship programme for which he is responsible in each of the last five years; and how much is to be spent on each programme in 2008-09.

David Lammy: The Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills funds scholarships for PhD students from the developing world through the Dorothy Hodgkin Awards. DIUS (previously DTI Office of Science and Technology) has directly contributed 525,000 since 2005, including 131,250 in 2008/09. This contributes towards the total of 23.565 million that Research Councils have funded through the Dorothy Hodgkins scheme from 2004-08. DIUS has also contributed 400,000 per year towards the FCO's Chevening Scholarships for the past five years, including this year. DIUS has earmarked, but not yet spent:
	800,000 for Commonwealth Scholarships for the academic years 2009/10 and 2010/11
	13.4 million over the current spending period for Newton Fellowships.

Students: Fees and Charges

Ian Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what estimate he has made of the annual costs which would accrue to the public purse from the abolition of fees for students in higher education in the UK.

David Lammy: Total income from tuition fees was worth 5.4 billion to UK higher education institutions in 2006/07 the latest year for which data is available. It would cost the taxpayer at least that amount each year if tuition fees were abolished for all students in higher education in the UK and the Government decided to compensate institutions for the loss of income on a pound for pound basis. The Government believe that in view of the personal financial returns to higher education, those who benefit from participating in higher education should also make a contribution to its costs.

Teachers: Training

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills how many and what proportion of students on an initial teacher training course were eligible for a bursary in the most recent period for which figures are available.

Jim Knight: I have been asked to reply.
	Training bursaries are payable to eligible trainees on mainstream postgraduate courses of initial teacher training. In 2006/07 there were 23,920 first year postgraduates on mainstream courses eligible for the bursary which represented 61 per cent. of the total teachers in training in that year.

Academies: Trade Unions

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families whether it is his policy that academies should recognise trades unions; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Knight: Academy trusts are subject to the same employment law requirements as any other employer.
	In the 2007 Academies Prospectus we stated that:
	As a good employer we would expect Academies to recognise staff Associations.

Alderman Blaxhill School: Colchester

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families pursuant to the Answer of 14 October 2008,  Official Report, column 1104W, on the Alderman Blaxhill School, Colchester, if he will list the full itinerary for which the then Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Schools and Learners) undertook on his visit to Colchester in September 2008.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: My predecessor, Lord Adonis, held a short introductory meeting with the leader of Essex county council, followed by visits to Alderman Blaxill School, Thomas, Lord Audley School and Sir Charles Lucas School when he visited Colchester.
	In line with the usual protocols, Lord Adonis' office informed the hon. Member for Colchester in a letter of 27 August of the date of the visit and the planned itinerary.

Alderman Blaxhill School: Colchester

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families who instigated the visit on 12 September to Alderman Blaxill School, Colchester, by the then Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, the Minister for Schools and Learners.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: holding answer 13 October 2008
	The then Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Minister for Schools and Learners, visited Alderman Blaxill School, Colchester, on 12 September at the invitation of Lord Hanningfteld. Lord Hanningfield e-mailed to invite Lord Adonis on 13 June 2008.

Alderman Blaxhill School: Colchester

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families pursuant to the answer of 14 October 2008,  Official Report, column 1104W, on the Alderman Blaxill School, Colchester, on what date the then Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Schools and Learners) visited Colchester; and what the  (a) name and  (b) position was of the member of his private office who was present during the visit.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: The then Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Schools and Learners was accompanied by his diary manager on his visit to Alderman Blaxill School, Colchester on 12 September. It is not the Department's practice to make public any personal information relating to junior officials.

Children: Prisoners

Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what discussions Ministers in his Department have had with children's charities on  (a) the needs of children with parents in prison and  (b) the additional support they require.

Beverley Hughes: We have an ongoing dialogue with children's charities and voluntary organisations through the Children, Young People and Families (CYPF) grant programme, the Parenting Fund and the Parent Know How Programme to provide services to parents and families, including help with their parenting skills. This includes structured parenting programmes, support groups, counselling and helplines.
	We recently announced the injection of 16 million pounds for parenting services across the UK as part of the third round of the Parenting Fund run by the Family and Parenting Institute. Charities and voluntary organisations from 23 areas of the country will be able to apply for funding for projects that help strengthen family relationships in families where parental behaviours compromise family well being, including work to support families of offenders to improve life chances of their children.
	In January, we published the joint priority review of the children of offenders with the Ministry of Justice. This includes commitment to explore ways in which the National Offender Management Service and children's service can assess and meet a child's needs when a parent goes to prison; and to set clear and achievable expectations of offender managers and local partners to improve support for these families.
	We have also highlighted the families of offenders as being a priority group to local authorities in their work to decide where to target the significantly increased funding (over 120 million for 2008-11) we have made available for targeted initiatives to support families with high levels of need, with a particular focus on parenting skills. These include family intervention projects, the parenting early intervention programme, family pathfinders respect parenting practitioners and funding for at least one new parenting expert in every local authority to provide evidence-based parenting programmes for parents of children who are considered to be at risk or those parents with problems that are known to put their children at risk. Children of offenders (including those in prison) have been highlighted as one of the groups to be targeted by the Family Pathfinders and for the new parenting experts and the youth crime action plan.

Departmental ICT

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what IT projects his Department is undertaking; and what the most recent estimate of  (a) the cost and  (b) the completion date of each is.

Jim Knight: The Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF) does not hold a current comprehensive list of IT expenditure at every level of detail sponsored by the Department or its delivery partners. This could be calculated only at disproportionate cost. However some information is readily available about the eight most significant IT projects sponsored by the Department and its delivery partners. The information that follows represents the total cost of each project and not all of this will relate to hardware and software. Figures quoted are based on current plans and are subject to actual outturns. Some DCSF expenditure also includes elements relating to services provided to the Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills following Machinery of Government Changes that are not readily identifiable.
	
		
			  Projects   million 
			 ContactPoint 224 
			 e-Common Assessment Framework 44 
			 National Strategies Contract 5.5 
			 Schools RecruitmentCPP Shared Services 2.285 
			 Implementing e-Channels 34.4 
			 Identity Assurance 11-15 
			 Corporate Services Transformation programme 26 
			 GCA-Minerva 18 
		
	
	I also refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Hornchurch (James Brokenshire) on 17 March 2008,  Official Report, column 604.

Departmental Older Workers

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many people aged over  (a) 55 and  (b) 60 years of age were recruited by his Department in 2007-08; and what percentage in each case this was of the number of new recruits.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: My Department was formed as part of the Machinery of Government changes announced on 28 June 2007. Figures are available from 28 June 2007 to 30 September 2008. The information is set out as follows:
	
		
			   Number/percentage 
			 Number over 55 11 
			 Number over 60 0 
			 Percentage of new recruits (over 55) 3 
			 Percentage of new recruits (over 60) 0

Departmental Pensions

Jennifer Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many civil servants working in his Department and its agencies have pensions with a cash equivalent transfer value of over 1 million.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: It is not appropriate to disclose pension information for civil servants other than board members whose details are shown in the remuneration report in annual resource accounts. A copy of the Children, Schools and Families resource accounts for financial year 2007-08 can be found in the Library or accessed electronically using the following link
	www.dcsf.gov.uk/publications.
	The Department has no agencies.

Diplomas

Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many places will be available for each of the diplomas for 14 to 19-year-olds in 2009-10.

Jim Knight: We do not know the number of places that will be available for Diplomas in the school year 2009-10, and won't until young people chose their options next year.

Education: Assessments

David Chaytor: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many and what proportion of students resident in each local authority area achieved a score of 1,000 or more under the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority's tariff points scheme in level three assessments taken at the end of the second year of post-16 study in 2006-07.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: The information readily available relates to students on roll in institutions in each local authority rather than by their local authority of residence. This information is given as follows. Figures relating to local authority of residence can be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	Other summary residency-based A level figures (but not for the detail required) for 2006/07 are available via the following link:
	http://www.dcsf.gov.uk/rsgateway/DB/SFR/s000808/index.shtml
	
		
			  Number and percentage of pupils achieving a QCA average point score of 1,000 or more by 2006/2007 by local authority 
			Number of pupils achieving an QCA APS of 1,000 or more  Percentage of pupils achieving an QCA APS of 1,000 or more  Number of pupils 
			 201 City of London 72 37.3 193 
			 202 Camden 110 5.9 1,865 
			 203 Greenwich 51 2.8 1,820 
			 204 Hackney 7 0.7 1,021 
			 205 Hammersmith and Fulham 217 9.1 2,376 
			 206 Islington 16 0.9 1,688 
			 207 Kensington and Chelsea 147 8.4 1,752 
			 208 Lambeth 19 2.3 844 
			 209 Lewisham 78 3.6 2,137 
			 210 Southwark 288 21.9 1,315 
			 211 Tower Hamlets 34 2.0 1,730 
			 212 Wandsworth 85 3.0 2,865 
			 213 Westminster 243 7.8 3,104 
			 301 Barking and Dagenham 46 3.2 1,454 
			 302 Barnet 438 7.5 5,862 
			 303 Bexley 176 7.9 2,226 
			 304 Brent 83 3.2 2,628 
			 305 Bromley 349 7.7 4,528 
			 306 Croydon 310 7.0 4,442 
			 307 Ealing 147 6.7 2,202 
			 306 Enfield 133 4.9 2,726 
			 309 Haringey 83 4.7 1,781 
			 310 Harrow 297 9.0 3,302 
			 311 Havering 353 10.7 3,290 
			 312 Hillingdon 172 5.0 3,415 
			 313 Hounslow 94 3.1 3,071 
			 314 Kingston upon Thames 283 9.2 3,065 
			 315 Merton 145 11.2 1,298 
			 316 Newham 33 1.2 2,745 
			 317 Redbridge 215 5.6 3,864 
			 318 Richmond upon Thames 367 10.7 3,424 
			 319 Sutton 461 14.0 3,300 
			 320 Waltham Forest 129 3.9 3,313 
			 330 Birmingham 1,161 11.2 10,341 
			 331 Coventry 226 6.9 3,278 
			 332 Dudley 500 10.0 5,006 
			 333 Sandwell 13 1.0 1,292 
			 334 Solihull 156 5.2 3,022 
			 335 Walsall 169 7.2 2,342 
			 336 Wolverhampton 163 5.7 2,857 
			 340 Knowsley 1 0.2 588 
			 341 Liverpool 278 6.0 4,606 
			 342 St. Helens 280 9.9 2,829 
			 343 Sefton 489 11.1 4,397 
			 344 Wirral 472 11.7 4,019 
			 350 Bolton 262 10.3 2,538 
			 351 Bury 427 12.3 3,471 
			 352 Manchester 495 8.6 5,726 
			 353 Oldham 211 7.0 3,001 
			 354 Rochdale 58 4.6 1,253 
			 355 Salford 88 3.7 2,393 
			 356 Stockport 438 9.1 4,806 
			 357 Tameside 131 6.4 2,032 
			 358 Trafford 419 18.1 2,310 
			 359 Wigan 545 14.5 3,758 
			 370 Barnsley 62 4.3 1,451 
			 371 Doncaster 197 7.3 2,688 
			 372 Rotherham 285 9.0 3,176 
			 373 Sheffield 399 9.6 4,150 
			 380 Bradford 341 6.0 5,657 
			 381 Calderdale 120 6.9 1,749 
			 382 Kirklees 815 15.4 5,291 
			 383 Leeds 742 9.0 8,206 
			 384 Wakefield 362 10.1 3,588 
			 390 Gateshead 69 4.7 1,465 
			 391 Newcastle upon Tyne 232 5.4 4,291 
			 392 North Tyneside 120 6.5 1,860 
			 393 South Tyneside 11 1.2 887 
			 394 Sunderland 261 10.4 2,502 
			 800 Bath and North East Somerset 168 6.6 2,539 
			 801 City of Bristol 316 7.3 4,330 
			 802 North Somerset 154 7.3 2,101 
			 803 South Gloucestershire 181 6.2 2,904 
			 805 Hartlepool 51 4.9 1,033 
			 806 Middlesbrough 119 7.0 1,689 
			 807 Redcar and Cleveland 133 8.1 1,642 
			 808 Stockton on Tees 157 7.9 1,998 
			 810 City of Kingston-upon-Hull 255 8.7 2,940 
			 811 East Riding of Yorkshire 171 6.2 2,770 
			 812 North East Lincolnshire 134 6.9 1,929 
			 813 North Lincolnshire 253 10.9 2,311 
			 815 North Yorkshire 909 11.3 8,033 
			 816 York 348 12.8 2,717 
			 820 Bedfordshire 383 7.2 5,312 
			 821 Luton 51 2.6 1,937 
			 825 Buckinghamshire 836 12.0 6,941 
			 826 Milton Keynes 145 7.6 1,899 
			 830 Derbyshire 570 8.9 6,373 
			 831 City of Derby 124 5.4 2,286 
			 835 Dorset 358 8.5 4,207 
			 836 Poole 229 9.0 2,554 
			 837 Bournemouth 125 15.9 786 
			 840 Durham 236 5.4 4,382 
			 841 Darlington 281 12.9 2,181 
			 845 East Sussex 197 3.3 5,973 
			 846 Brighton and Hove 341 8.9 3,848 
			 850 Hampshire 2,552 12.2 20,883 
			 851 Portsmouth 55 6.6 836 
			 852 Southampton 87 3.9 2,234 
			 855 Leicestershire 698 8.2 8,527 
			 856 Leicester City 240 5.4 4,458 
			 857 Rutland 86 21.8 394 
			 860 Staffordshire 626 7.6 8,226 
			 861 Stoke-on-Trent 115 5.4 2,148 
			 865 Wiltshire 421 8.1 5,175 
			 866 Swindon 72 3.8 1,871 
			 867 Bracknell Forest 69 5.6 1,229 
			 868 Windsor and Maidenhead 261 12.1 2,151 
			 869 West Berkshire 255 10.2 2,498 
			 870 Reading 146 11.6 1,263 
			 871 Slough 156 9.0 1,735 
			 872 Wokingham 102 5.6 1,823 
			 873 Cambridgeshire 948 13.8 6,860 
			 874 Peterborough 159 7.5 2,122 
			 875 Cheshire 904 10.7 8,452 
			 876 Halton 53 4.7 1,117 
			 877 Warrington 168 7.0 2,386 
			 878 Devon 496 6.5 7,596 
			 879 Plymouth 225 9.4 2,403 
			 880 Torbay 190 12.0 1,580 
			 881 Essex 1,493 10.4 14,347 
			 882 Southend 321 12.8 2,506 
			 883 Thurrock 39 2.1 1,870 
			 884 Herefordshire 373 16.8 2,226 
			 885 Worcestershire 613 8.2 7,462 
			 886 Kent 1,708 10.0 16,999 
			 887 Medway 304 8.9 3,430 
			 888 Lancashire 1,467 13.0 11,270 
			 889 Blackburn 105 4.5 2,308 
			 890 Blackpool 194 8.8 2,216 
			 891 Nottinghamshire 469 6.4 7,314 
			 892 Nottingham City 518 12.3 4,205 
			 893 Shropshire 394 10.1 3,883 
			 894 Telford and Wrekin 201 11.3 1,784 
			 908 Cornwall 325 5.8 5,609 
			 909 Cumbria 604 11.3 5,359 
			 916 Gloucestershire 890 10.2 8,728 
			 919 Hertfordshire 1,240 7.3 17,004 
			 921 Isle of Wight 35 2.7 1,316 
			 925 Lincolnshire 749 10.5 7,107 
			 926 Norfolk 586 7.8 7,500 
			 928 Northamptonshire 525 6.5 8.050 
			 929 Northumberland 230 6.8 3,398 
			 931 Oxfordshire 793 9.0 8,828 
			 933 Somerset 530 7.3 7,223 
			 935 Suffolk 649 10.0 6,488 
			 936 Surrey 1,468 8.4 17,403 
			 937 Warwickshire 689 8.7 7,889 
			 938 West Sussex 592 6.0 9,799 
			  
			  England 51,092 8.6 596,575 
			  Note: Figures relate to 16 to 18-year-olds (age at start of academic year, i.e. 31 August) entered for level 3 qualifications in all institutions.

Further Education

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what research his Department has  (a) commissioned,  (b) evaluated and  (c) undertaken on the influence of sixth forms in schools on rates of post-16 participation in education by other pupils attending the schools.

Jim Knight: The Department commissioned and published research by the university of Southampton in 2004 on the influence of the school in the decision to participate in post-16 education. The research found that schools with sixth forms promoted post-16 academic routes more actively and narrowly than schools without sixth forms and that careers advice in schools with sixth forms was felt by pupils to be less impartial and favouring of an academic tradition and sixth form provision than advice provided in schools without sixth forms.
	The Department has also conducted internal analyses using sources such as the Youth Cohort Study and matched administrative data. These analyses show that young people are more likely to stay on in full-time education at age 16 if they are in a school with a sixth form, but this participation gap becomes small if part-time education and training are included. It is likely that these gaps are largely accounted for by differences in the characteristics (such as prior attainment) of pupils attending schools with and without sixth forms. The latest participation rate figures are given in the answer of 23 October 2008,  Official Report, column 577W.

Further Education

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families with reference to the Answer of 8 October 2007,  Official Report, column 389W, what proportion of pupils aged 16 to 18 years in  (a) further education colleges and  (b) school sixth forms were from highly deprived backgrounds in (i) 2006-07 and (ii) 2007-08.

Jim Knight: Information is available using matched administrative data and eligibility for free school meals at age 15 as a proxy for income deprivation. Of those 16 to 18-year-olds in further education colleges and maintained school sixth forms in 2006/07, 13 per cent. and 8 per cent. respectively were eligible for and claiming free school meals at age 15. Information for 2007/08 is not yet available.

General Certificate of Secondary Education: North East

Jim Cousins: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what percentage of students achieved five A* to C GCSEs including English and mathematics in each local education authority area in the North East region in  (a) 2005,  (b) 2006 and  (c) 2007; what percentage of such students were in receipt of free school meals in each year; and what percentage of students not in receipt of free school meals achieved that standard in each year.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: The percentage of students at the end of key stage 4 in each local education authority achieving five A* to C GCSEs including English and mathematics, broken down by free school meal eligibility, for 2007, can be found in table 49 of the National Curriculum Assessment, GCSE and Equivalent Attainment and Post-16 Attainment by Pupil Characteristics, in England 2006/07 Statistical First Release (SFR) accessible at:
	http://www.dcsf.gov.uk/rsgateway/DB/SFR/s000759/index.shtml
	For 2006, similar information can be found in table 73 of the National Curriculum Assessment, GCSE and Equivalent Attainment and Post-16 Attainment by Pupil Characteristics in England 2005/06 (Provisional) SFR accessible at:
	http://www.dcsf.gov.uk/rsgateway/DB/SFR/s000693/index.shtml
	and for 2005, in table 91 of the National Curriculum Assessment, GCSE and Equivalent Attainment and Post-16 Attainment by Pupil Characteristics, in England 2005 SFR accessible at:
	http://www.dcsf.gov.uk/rsgateway/DB/SFR/s000640/index.shtml
	These figures are for maintained schools only, including academies and city technology colleges and excluding independent schools, independent special schools and non-maintained special schools.

Gifted Children

Nick Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many and what proportion of schools have a gifted and talented register in  (a) the primary sector and  (b) the secondary sector.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: 94 per cent. of secondary schools and 76 per cent. of primary schools completed the question requesting confirmation of their gifted and talented pupils in the January 2008 school census. We do not collect information about the form in which schools keep records of their gifted and talented pupils.

Mentally Ill Staff

Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what information his Department has gathered on the effect of its policies and practices on the recruitment, development and retention of employees with mental illnesses within  (a) his Department and  (b) the public sector bodies for which he has responsibility; and what use has been made of that information.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: The Department has an Equality and Diversity Delivery Plan which has several action points to help with the retention and development of disabled staff, including updating our current guidance on working with disabled staff and the provision of a stress management policy. In addition, the Department uses the Guaranteed Interview Scheme for registered disabled staff when recruiting externally and for the internal job filling.
	The Department makes reasonable adjustments for people with mental health related disabilities and has an occupational health service that advises managers on the steps they can take to help people with mental health related illnesses return to and stay in work. A confidential welfare service is also available for staff who may wish to discuss any health related issues.
	The Department monitors the equality impact of its policies through the people survey and the information it holds on employees, but small numbers can often make this difficult for specific disabilities.
	Executive non-departmental public bodies operate within the same legislation as the Department but information is not held centrally by the Department on specific actions that they take and can be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Pre-school Education: Manpower

Maria Miller: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what qualifications his Department  (a) approves and  (b) recommends for people working in child care.

Beverley Hughes: holding answer 23 October 2008
	We are committed to creating a highly skilled work force to deliver truly world class early years services, including having a graduate Early Years Professional (EYP) to lead practice. We aim to have an EYP in every children's centre by 2010 and in every full day care setting by 2015. All children's centres offering early years provision must also have a minimum 0.5 of a qualified teacher involved in planning and delivering the service before designation. Centres should aim to increase this to be a full time post within 18 months.
	In addition to this, we have put in place qualification requirements for staff delivering the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS); at least one member of staff must hold a full and relevant level 3 (as defined by the Children's Workforce Development CouncilCWDC) and at least half of all other staff must hold a full and relevant level 2 (as defined by CWDC). A new list of full and relevant qualifications will shortly be available on the CWDG website:
	http://www.cwdcouncil.org.uk/

Pupils

David Chaytor: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what proportion of students  (a) were eligible for free school meals,  (b) had a statement of Special Educational Needs and  (c) were on School Action Plus in (i) grammar schools and (ii) maintained secondary schools other than grammar schools in each local education authority in the latest year for which figures are available.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: The requested information can be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Schools

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what his policy is on the use of support federations to turn around failing schools; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Knight: A range of policies for tackling underperforming schools is available to local authorities and the Department. Policies such as improving management, forming federations and other collaborative arrangements, adding additional governors, taking back delegated budgets or replacing a governing body with an Interim Executive Board (IEB) are effective tools to help raise standards and sustain improvements in underperforming schools.
	Federation is a governance structure which provides a firm and flexible basis for extensive school to school partnership. It is one of the powerful structural models that may be adopted by National Challenge schools to secure long-term school improvement. The single governing body of a hard federation provides a framework of sustained support, replication of practice and opportunity to share expertise and resources. Support federations are an effective way of schools working in partnership through formal shared governance structures to raise standards and drive significant improvement.

Schools: Demolition

Adrian Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many school buildings built before 1900 were demolished in each local authority area in each of the last five years.

Jim Knight: The Department for Children, Schools and Families does not hold information on school buildings, built before 1900, that have been demolished in local authority areas over the last five years. It does, however, give guidance to local authorities wishing to retain historic school buildings in school use through its publication, 'Transforming Schools: An Inspirational Guide to Remodelling Secondary Schools', and through its collaboration with English Heritage on their position statement, 'The Future of Historic School Buildings'. In both the Building Schools for the Future and the Primary Capital Programmes, we are happy to support local plans which retain and restore historic school buildings.

Secondary Education: Peterborough

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what surveys his Department has conducted to estimate the proportion of the school student population in Peterborough which wishes to stay on in full-time education beyond GCSEs; and what the findings were.

Jim Knight: There are a number of national surveys conducted by the Department which have asked young people about their intentions after age 16, such as the Longitudinal Study of Young People in England (LSYPE), the Youth Cohort Study (YCS) and the Education Maintenance Allowance (EMA) pilots. However, these all have sample sizes designed to give accurate estimates at a national level and would not be able to provide reliable estimates for local authorities such as Peterborough.
	Ofsted have run a school-based survey called Tellus for school children in Peterborough and in 2007 which asked year 6, 8 and 10 pupils what they hope to do when they leave school. The results of this are given in the following table:
	
		
			  Table 6c : What do you hope to do when you leave school? (Tick one box only) 
			  Percentage 
			   Peterborough  National 
			 Get a job at 16 20 16 
			 Study and get a job at 18 20 17 
			 Study and go to university 43 50 
			 Something else 7 7 
			 Don't know 10 10

Specialised Diplomas: Rural Areas

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what plans he has to help rural schools collaborate in offering the diploma courses.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: We have set out our assessments in Delivering 14-19 Reforms in Rural Areas which we published on 30 June 2008. This report shows that rural and semi-rural areas face a particular set of challenges. We are committed to supporting these areas to overcome the challenges they face and know that many rural areas are already deploying a range of innovative solutions to ensure that young people get access to 14-19 provision.

Teachers: Pay

Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what representations he has received on the difference in salary levels between further education lecturers and schoolteachers; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Knight: Following the machinery of government changes in 2007, responsibility for further education (FE) colleges falls to the Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills (DIUS). I have not, therefore, received representations since that time about the relative levels of salaries payable to school teachers and further education lecturers.
	However, the Government are not the employer of FE staff and DIUS is not involved in pay issues. Following enactment of the Further and Higher Education Act (1992), FE employers became independent institutions and pay in the FE sector is a matter for the staff and colleges concerned. Pay settlements for FE colleges and sixth form colleges are agreed in consultation with staff and their unions, without Government involvement in either national or local machinery.

Teachers: Pensions

Paul Rowen: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how much was paid  (a) by (i) employees and (ii) employers into and  (b) to those receiving pensions payments from the Teachers Pension Scheme in each of the last five years.

Jim Knight: The values of contributions received to each of the last five years are:
	
		
			  000 
			   Employer contributions  Employee contributions 
			 2002-03 1,447,375 1,078,462 
			 2003-04 2,506,296 1,163,695 
			 2004-05 2,578,001 1,189,792 
			 2005-06 2,670,087 1,229,680 
			 2006-07 2,819,704 1,320,010 
		
	
	The values of benefits paid (including lump sums) in each of the last five years are:
	
		
			   Pensions  p aid (000) 
			 2002-03 3,972,147 
			 2003-04 4,190,227 
			 2004-05 4,501,543 
			 2005-06 4,898,595 
			 2006-07 5,294,682 
		
	
	The figures are taken from the published Teachers' Pension Scheme Resource Accounts and vary from those provided in my response to the hon. Member on 20 October 2008,  Official Report, column 84W, which were provided on a cash basis.

Young People: Unemployment

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many people aged 16 to 24 years old not in education, employment or training there were in each year since 1997, broken down by  (a) constituency,  (b) local authority and  (c) region.

Beverley Hughes: The data presented in the following table (i) are taken from the labour force survey (LFS). The table shows, for each Government office region, the estimated number of people aged 16 to 24 not in employment, education or training (NEET) in the fourth quarter (October to December) of each year since 1997. Estimates are not available by constituency or by local authority.
	
		
			  Table (i): Number of 16 to 24-year-olds not in employment, education or training in quarter 4 of each year by region, 1997 to 2007 
			   North East  North West  Yorkshire and the Humber  East Midlands  West Midlands  Eastern  London  South East  South West  England 
			 1997 43,000 100,000 72,000 47,000 83,000 59,000 123,000 91,000 47,000 665,000 
			 1998 54,000 119,000 83,000 51,000 82,000 53,000 117,000 75,000 49,000 683,000 
			 1999 49,000 87,000 73,000 62,000 75,000 50,000 112,000 72,000 45,000 626,000 
			 2000 50,000 95,000 75,000 56,000 82,000 54,000 95,000 74,000 48,000 629,000 
			 2001 46,000 110,000 76,000 51,000 81,000 59,000 114,000 85,000 43,000 664,000 
			 2002 50,000 100,000 73,000 56,000 79,000 69,000 108,000 76,000 49,000 659,000 
			 2003 46,000 105,000 76,000 51,000 81,000 50,000 122,000 99,000 37,000 667,000 
			 2004 58,000 113,000 81,000 68,000 83,000 61,000 139,000 82,000 60,000 744,000 
			 2005 61,000 114,000 107,000 70,000 93,000 77,000 143,000 110,000 63,000 837,000 
			 2006 45,000 120,000 95,000 65,000 96,000 77,000 148,000 93,000 68,000 808,000 
			 2007 49,000 120,000 82,000 70,000 93,000 74,000 123,000 116,000 56,000 782,000 
			  Source: Labour Force Survey. 
		
	
	The total number of 16 to 24-year-olds not in employment, education or training (NEET) has risen since 1997, but this reflects an increase in the overall population. The proportion of 16 to 24-year-olds NEET remains unchanged (table (ii)).
	
		
			  Table ( i i):  Percentage  of 16 to 24-year-olds not in employment, education or training in quarter 4 of each year by region, 1997 to 2007 
			   North East  North West  Yorkshire and the Humber  East Midlands  West Midlands  Eastern  London  South East  South West  England 
			 1997 16 14 13 11 15 11 15 11 10 13 
			 1998 20 17 16 12 15 10 14 9 10 13 
			 1999 18 12 14 14 14 10 13 9 10 12 
			 2000 18 13 14 13 15 10 11 9 10 12 
			 2001 16 15 14 11 14 11 13 10 9 13 
			 2002 17 13 13 12 14 13 13 9 10 12 
			 2003 15 13 13 11 14 9 14 12 7 12 
			 2004 19 14 13 14 14 11 16 9 11 13 
			 2005 19 14 17 14 15 13 17 13 12 15 
			 2006 14 14 14 12 15 13 17 11 12 14 
			 2007 15 14 12 13 15 12 14 13 10 13 
			  Source: Labour Force Survey. 
		
	
	It is important to note that as with all survey estimates, these estimates from the LFS are subject to sampling error. The figures should therefore be treated with caution.